Introduction Critical Thinking: "What" and "Why" The Analysis Factor Today's employee is bombarded with organizational oxymorons. In this age of paradox, we are expected to keep our heads above water shored by contradiction. Learning is a life long process, yet we are forced to absorb it in machine-gun bursts. Advice broken down into sound bites is offered to us constantly, yet we are asked instead to draw big pictures, envision far-off, uncertain futures, and operate from strategic, well-planned positions. We absorb facts coming at us faster than the speed of light, yet we struggle for the clarity and creativity critical if we are to make wise use of this new knowledge. And we know one thing with certainty: We have to do more with less, and we must do it in far less time. Continuous learning and the imaginative application of it are needed if the organization itself is to continue. Imaginative thought, described by management guru Tom Peters as the "only source of real value in the new economy," originates with well-informed employees who employ critical thinking to translate knowledge into competitive advantage. By critical thinking, we refer to thought processes that are quick, accurate, and assumption-free. (They are often creative as well.) Such processes help us view, with a critical eye, the problems, decisions, and situations that require appropriate reaction and action. "Critical," after all, is derived from the Greek word krisis, which means "to separate." When