Critical Skills

Welcome to the Critical Skills Blog, home to over a thousand human-generated articles—never AI—on topics that matter to continuous education. To find articles of interest, use the “Search” tab. Please feel free to comment, and please subscribe. All content on this site is free.

  • The Impact of Sequestration on Skill Training – Devastating

    “America’s economic future depends, at least in part, on the skills of its workforce. Although policymakers face difficult decisions, our nation must continue to invest in those skills to maintain our competitiveness in the global economy.” This is the first conclusion reached by the National Skills Coalition (NCS) which organizes… More⇢

  • When Giving A Speech – “Say A Few Words” (a “Communications Tip” . . . )

    This is a helpful “Communications” tip that I learned several years ago.  It concerns the challenge you face when called upon to speak extemporaneously. It’s a “blueprint,” of sorts – something easy to remember when you’re gathering your thoughts about what you are going to say. Then it leads you… More⇢

  • Some Tips On Time Management!

    Here are the results of an UNSCIENTIFIC survey of how effective people manage their time. Plan for tomorrow today. Near the end of the day, make a list of what you have to do tomorrow – hard things first. Delegate your tasks. That seems fine except for those to whom… More⇢

  • How to Tell if Someone Is “Full of It!”

    Here is a little tip that works to determine if someone really knows what he/she is talking about. Technically it’s an “information skill” – trying to determine if the “P” in whatever analysis you might be making, is really TRUE before you do any analysis. All of us encounter individuals… More⇢

  • Core Competencies for Medical Residents

    Chicago Medicine has an excellent article entitled “Milestones in Graduate Medical Education” by Louis J. Ling, MD and Laura Edgar, EdD, CAE in its February 2013 edition. This article deals with improving measurements for medical residents and lists six “Core Competencies” that were established  in 1991 by the Accreditation Council… More⇢

  • High School Field Studies – Up and Running! Check it out!

    If you are an educator and want to engage your students at the High School or Community College level with challenging project-based learning, check out High School Field Studies. These projects are most likely the most challenging exercises that can be experienced by students at the High School level.  They… More⇢

  • Reverse Analysis Can Debunk Cable News!

    Analysis does not only work by going from “premise” or “hypothesis” to a conclusion; reverse analysis can also undercover faulty reasoning and enable you to debunk cable news! Analysis is a logical process represented by “P” implies “Q.” The statement “p implies q” means that if p is true, then… More⇢

  • Information + Analysis = Critical Thinking . . . Howard Gardner has it right!

    Two of the most important of the “Critical Skills” are the skill of acquiring information and then doing something with it to solve a problem or draw a conclusion. This is the essence of “Critical Thinking” . . . and noted Harvard professor, Howard Gardner, has been arguing for years… More⇢

  • The “Production” Skill is Essential! Just MAKE IT HAPPEN!

    We all meet people who have great ideas, but many times these ideas just remain in the “idea” stage. Nothing ever happens. The “Production” Skill is that skill that enables one to just plain make things happen. Those who have it can take their ideas, take a risk, and just… More⇢

Meet Your Host – Charles Cranston Jett

Charles Cranston Jett is an author, civic educator, and Professional Certified Coach based in Chicago. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (Class of 1964) and Harvard Business School, he served during the Cold War aboard the nuclear submarine USS Ray (SSN 653), where his tactical innovations helped inspire Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan character. He developed the Field Studies methodology to teach “Critical Skills” and was endorsed by the Department of Labor in 1994. He is the author of six books, including Super Nuke!, hosts three podcasts, and writes across his Critical Skills Blog and Civic Sage platforms on history, leadership, and the health of the American republic. He and his wife, Dr. Nancy Church, co-host the Chicago Salons at Water Tower Residences.