Critical Thinking Worskshop 2 days Training Course

Module 1: Cultivating the Critical Thinking Mindset

• Understanding the definition of critical thinking and its significance in the workplace
• Distinguishing between critical thinking and reacting, assuming, or relying on intuition
• Recognising common obstacles to clear reasoning
• Examining how time pressure, prior experience, and organisational culture affect decision-making
• Introduction to a structured critical thinking process
• Stages of observation, interpretation, analysis, exploration, and evaluation
• Shifting focus from immediate answers to formulating better questions

Practical Exercise: Examine a recent workplace decision to identify the thought processes that led to the final outcome.

Module 2: Defining the Correct Problem

• Differentiating between surface-level symptoms and underlying issues
• Understanding why organisations frequently address the wrong problem
• Mastering problem framing and asking more effective questions
• Uncovering assumptions embedded in problem statements
• Utilising the 5 Whys technique
• Conducting root cause analysis
• Investigating alternative explanations

Practical Exercise: Apply problem-framing and root cause analysis techniques to an actual or simulated workplace challenge.

Module 3: Assessing Information, Evidence, and Assumptions

• Distinguishing between facts, opinions, and assumptions
• Separating interpretation from concrete evidence
• Detecting missing or incomplete information
• Evaluating the credibility and relevance of available data
• Assessing the strength versus weakness of evidence
• Identifying hidden assumptions
• Distinguishing between correlation and causation
• Avoiding premature conclusions based on incomplete data

Practical Exercise: Evaluate a business scenario containing mixed facts, opinions, assumptions, and incomplete evidence to determine what additional information is needed before deciding.

Module 4: Cognitive Biases and Thinking Pitfalls

• Understanding how cognitive biases impact judgement and decisions
• Confirmation bias
• Anchoring bias
• Authority bias
• Availability bias
• Escalation of commitment
• Groupthink
• Recognising logical fallacies in workplace debates
• Ad hominem attacks
• Straw man arguments
• Slippery slope reasoning
• False dilemmas
• Challenging one’s own thought processes

Practical Exercise: Identify biases, assumptions, and logical fallacies within a series of workplace scenarios and decision discussions.

Module 5: Analysing a Business Challenge

• Applying the critical thinking process to complex issues
• Clarifying the problem before proposing solutions
• Identifying available and missing evidence
• Questioning initial assumptions
• Considering alternative interpretations
• Filtering relevant information from distractions
• Developing a problem analysis grounded in evidence

Practical Exercise: Small groups analyse a business case relevant to the client's industry and present their findings and reasoning.

Module 6: Challenging Perspectives and Exploring Alternatives

• The impact of considering alternative viewpoints on decision quality
• Asking: "What if we are wrong?"
• Identifying alternative explanations
• Devil's Advocate techniques
• Red Team thinking
• Fostering constructive disagreement
• Challenging preferred solutions
• Using pre-mortems to identify potential failure points

Practical Exercise: Participants critique a proposed business decision by identifying assumptions, risks, missing evidence, and alternative approaches.

Module 7: Creative Thinking for Enhanced Problem Solving

• The connection between critical thinking and creative thinking
• Divergent and convergent thinking
• Moving beyond the first or most obvious solution
• Brainstorming and brainwriting techniques
• Generating multiple alternatives
• Using SCAMPER to explore new approaches
• Evaluating creative ideas objectively

Practical Exercise: Generate and develop multiple solutions to a workplace challenge before selecting the most appropriate options.

Module 8: Structured Decision Making

• Transitioning from analysis to action
• Establishing clear decision criteria
• Objectively comparing alternatives
• Cost and benefit analysis
• Assessing risks and trade-offs
• Understanding stakeholder impact
• Utilising decision matrices
• Identifying potential unintended consequences
• Making decisions under uncertainty

Practical Exercise: Evaluate several possible solutions using agreed decision criteria and present a justified recommendation.

Module 9: Critical Thinking in Leadership and Teams

• The role of critical thinking in leadership
• Why teams sometimes make poor decisions
• The impact of hierarchy, authority, and groupthink
• Encouraging constructive challenge
• Creating an environment where people can question assumptions
• Asking better questions in meetings
• Separating disagreement from conflict
• Facilitating evidence-based discussions
• Communicating recommendations clearly and convincingly

Practical Exercise: Participate in a structured team decision-making exercise involving competing priorities, incomplete information, and different stakeholder perspectives.

Module 10: Final Business Simulation and Action Planning

• Applying the complete critical thinking process
• Defining the problem
• Analysing evidence and assumptions
• Identifying biases and thinking traps
• Exploring alternative perspectives and solutions
• Establishing decision criteria
• Assessing risks and consequences
• Developing and presenting an evidence-based recommendation

Practical Exercise: Participants work in teams on a comprehensive business scenario or, where appropriate, one of the client's real workplace challenges.