Summary of the course
In this course, you will experience instruction and engaging activities. The course provides a thorough foundation and toolset for Critical Thinking in a variety of situations. You will practice these tools using your real individual business issues. Templates, called Thinksheets, are used as a guide for thinking, both in the course, and to aid future out of course use. The course contains 17 PDF forms with activities and reference material that we've perfected from teaching critical thinking courses since 2005.

Learning Objectives
  • Distinguish “Automatic” Thinking from “Manual”
  • Understand a Framework for Thinking Critically
  • Learn a variety tools to think critically and practice them using Clarity, Conclusion and Decision Thinksheets.
  • Identify where you can apply Critical Thinking in your job
  • Create a next steps plan

Topics Covered
The Framework
  • Distinguishing “Automatic” Thinking from “Manual Thinking”
  • Framework and Benefits of Critical Thinking
  • Empty your bucket
Clarity
  • Clarity - “Get Clear” on a problem to solve or decision to make 
  • Inspection - Inspecting the Headscratcher
  • Why  - Four reasons to ask Why?
  • So What - The Impact
  • Want vs. Need
  • Anticipatory Thinking - Looking into the future
  • Clarity Thinksheet - Putting it all together
Conclusions
  • Applying Inductive & Deductive thinking.
  • Understanding the Premise that leads to a conclusion and how personality affects this
  • How facts, observations, experiences, beliefs, and assumptions affect your thinking
  • Why people come to different conclusions and what to do about it.
  • Using Critical Thinking to Influence and Persuade
  • 1 + 1 = 3
  • Conclusion Thinksheet - Putting it all together
Decisions
  • Who, When, Need and Criteria
  • The Decision Thinksheet - Putting it all together
Next Steps
  • Your plan to implement your learning