Elements of Critical Evaluation

            Critical evaluation involves breaking downcomplex information into simpler ideas that can be relied on to achieve personal or organizational goals. It enables individuals or organizations to come up with visions and missions that can result in positive development. As such, there are elements of critical evaluation which include identification of the specific information, clarification, critical evaluation, and final evaluation. Firstly, the identification of specific information involves collecting any information that may contribute to the intended plan of action. For example, the information may comprise the specific mission and vision of an organization. Secondly, clarification involves examining the validity and reliability of the identified information. This includes comparing the information premises to the organizational goals. There should be some similarities to since the progress of the organization depends on analyzed information.

Another element of critical evaluation is critical reasoning. In this case, both inductive and deductive reasoning is applied. The evaluators should ask themselves several questions. For example, is the information coherent with the organizational plans? Does the information address the specific purpose of the organization? After answering the above questions, evaluators can conclude on what to do next. Last final evaluation is another element of critical evaluation whereby the evaluators review the selected information before putting it into action.

Identifying Critical and Objective Critical Evaluation

            A clear and objective evaluation should be well and confidently delivered. It should involve personal and original views which concur with the subject. Besides, extensive research should be done to collect all the necessary information to substantiate the final evaluation. Since the final information from the critical evaluation is intended to bring a change in an existing situation. It should outline all the requirements including the set goals. For example, information aimed to develop an organization should be narrowed down into the organizational mission and vision. In this case, workers will work hard to fulfill the derived mission and mission.

Signs of Superficial Evaluation

            A superficial evaluation is that which does not involve deep thinking and analysis. Also, the evaluators do less research prior to doing a final evaluation. As such, a superficial evaluation can be easily recognized. Firstly, such an evaluation does not provide specific information about the subject of evaluation. For example, leaders may make decisions from general information attained from the organizational members instead of analyzing it and picking the best ideas that can improve the organizational progress. Another sign that an evaluation is superficial is when it does not bring any improvement in the intended subject. Information that is well evaluated can act as a directive for an organization to achieve its goals. For instance, a well-outlined mission and vision can trigger employees to work harder to develop the organization. On the other hand, a poorly stated mission and vision without specified organizational goals can discourage employees since they do not understand their roles in the organization.

Self-Reflection on Critical Evaluation

            In our daily lives, we encounter situations that require critical analysis of the available information so as to make a breakthrough. As such, I have also found myself in such situations several whereby I failed to identify outstanding critical information that could have made me accomplish the goals successfully. However, there is one situation that needed more of critical evaluation, but I did not realize it earlier. While on my training to become a qualified health care professional. I had to interact with most of the patients that reported to the hospital for admission.

At one point, I was working at the outpatient unit where I had to attend to patients before they proceed to the internal units for admission or other medical checkups. While sitting in my office, one patient was brought by two social workers and relative. Since I was alone in the office, I had to examine the patient so as to make a decision on what should be done next. The patient was unconscious, shallow breathing, and with faint heartbeats. Therefore, immediate action was to be taken before doing any other examination. However, the healthcare facility did not have an intensive care unit where unconscious patients could be managed. Following this, I called an ambulance to drive the patient to another healthcare facility which had an intensive care unit. The patient was transferred immediately. Unfortunately, he passed away on the way to the other hospital.

Although I had made a good decision by recommending the patient to be transferred to a developed hospital, I came to realize that my decision was based on a superficial evaluation of the situation. Instead of referring the patient immediately, I could have taken a brief history to identify the cause of his unconscious state and then proceed with symptomatic management such as resuscitating the patient to allow free circulation and breathing. Doing this could have helped the patient recover from unconsciousness so that subsequent management can be planned. The shallow breathing and weak heartbeats were apparent signs that the patient had a problem with breathing and circulation and resuscitating him could have solved the problem. In short, I did not review the information and procedures for managing patients with emergencies.

Challenges that Leaders face in Making Decisions

            I agree that the biggest challenge facing leaders in making good decisions is the urgency to come up with decisions in a short time and a lack of enough information. Leaders always have many tasks to partake such that they get less time to make decisions. Besides, they lack enough time to research and analyze information about impending decisions before making them. As a result, they end up making decisions that lack critical analysis. Such decisions cannot be relied on by the organization, and this can affect its progress.

Still, leaders can find ways to overcome these challenges. Firstly, the challenge of insufficient time to come up with organizational decisions can be solved by creating enough time for the leader. The leader can do this by delegating some of the tasks that absorb some of his/her time. As such, he/she will be left with enough time to do a critical evaluation before making decisions for the organization. Besides, the lack of reliable information about the decisions to be made can be solved by availing research materials that can help the leader gain more knowledge and information about the decisions he is supposed to make. Also, organizational members can contribute some of the information that can help the leader make wise decisions. In this regard, the leader will be in a position to critically analyze the provided information before deciding what the organization should do. Consequently, the organizational progress will improve due to critically evaluated decisions.

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