Curso de Critical Thinking Workshop (2 Days)

Module 1: The Critical Thinking Mindset

• The definition of critical thinking and its significance in a professional setting
• Distinguishing critical thinking from reactive behaviour, unfounded assumptions, and reliance on intuition
• Identifying common obstacles to clear reasoning
• The influence of time pressure, past experience, and organisational culture on decision-making
• An introduction to a structured critical thinking process
• Key stages: observation, interpretation, analysis, exploration, and evaluation
• Shifting focus from seeking immediate answers to posing more effective questions

Practical Exercise: Examine a recent workplace decision to identify the reasoning process that led to the final result.

Module 2: Defining the Right Problem

• Differentiating between symptoms and underlying issues
• Understanding why organisations frequently address the wrong problem
• Effective problem framing and asking the right questions
• Identifying assumptions embedded within a problem statement
• Utilising the 5 Whys technique
• Conducting root cause analysis
• Exploring alternative explanations

Practical Exercise: Use problem-framing and root cause analysis techniques to address a real or simulated workplace challenge.

Module 3: Evaluating Information, Evidence and Assumptions

• Distinguishing facts from opinions and assumptions
• Interpreting evidence versus making assumptions
• Spotting missing or incomplete information
• Evaluating the credibility and relevance of data
• Differentiating between strong and weak evidence
• Recognising hidden assumptions
• Understanding correlation versus causation
• Avoiding conclusions drawn from insufficient data

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

Module 4: Cognitive Biases and Thinking Traps

• The impact of cognitive biases on judgement and decision-making
• Confirmation bias
• Anchoring bias
• Authority bias
• Availability bias
• Escalation of commitment
• Groupthink
• Identifying logical fallacies in workplace discussions
• Ad hominem
• Straw man
• Slippery slope
• False dilemmas
• Critical self-reflection and challenging one's own thinking

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

Module 5: Analysing a Business Challenge

• Applying the critical thinking process to complex problems
• Clarifying the issue before proposing solutions
• Identifying available versus missing evidence
• Questioning initial assumptions
• Considering alternative interpretations
• Filtering relevant information from distractions
• Developing an evidence-based analysis of the problem

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

• How considering alternative perspectives enhances decision quality
• The importance of asking: "What if we are wrong?"
• Identifying alternative explanations
• Devil's Advocate techniques
• Red Team thinking
• Fostering constructive disagreement
• Challenging preferred solutions
• Using pre-mortem analysis to identify potential failure points

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

Module 7: Creative Thinking for Better Problem Solving

• The interplay between critical and creative thinking
• Divergent and convergent thinking
• Looking 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
• Using 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.