This 3 day modular and blended course is delivered over three half days (on-line) to encourage team members not to take information at 'face value' and to help[them to critically engage with data.
The next public course runs mornings: 13th, 20th and 23rd May.
All participants learn to use ‘Critical Thinking’ as the basis for successful problem solving and decision making. Mixed-company groups boosts learning by exposing participants to different thinking habits.
The interactive programme covers three aspects of Critical Thinking:
Focus & Reasoning: (3 Hours)
- Learning to separate Passion V Emotion to gain clear focus
- Understanding the difference between clear reasons and false logic
- Applying the ‘Tree Diagram’ logic mapping technique to produce clear, structure arguments
- Using Cool Logic in Hot Situations - dealing with false reasoning in meetings and discussion
Problem Solving & Decision Making: (3 Hours)
- Introduction to 2 common problem solving/decision making models
- Finding the core and scope of the problem using Socratic questioning
- Dealing with Biases and short cut thinking
- Exploring Innovative Options
- Framing questions to achieve the best answers
- Overcoming obstacles to achieve sustainable actions
Communication: (2 Hours)
Introduction to the most important aspect of problem solving and decision making – Implementation
- With Critical Thinking, we learn that our strongest argument can be our weakest link.
- Learners role play the implementation of a decision by appealing to the logic of the listener, and not the speaker.
- Practising the words of Aristotle - ‘The fool tells me his reasons, the wise man persuades me with my own’
- The session ends with a revisit of the decision making models with discussion on the challenges and opportunities for use in the workplace.
All learning experience is through explanation, exploration and exercises.
This Engineering Skillnet series is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and our member companies.
