Analytical Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision Making

Effective problem-solving is no longer the exclusive domain of managers and executives. In today's complex business environment, analytical thinking is a foundational skill that every professional needs. At its core, analytical thinking involves breaking challenges into their component parts, applying deductive reasoning, drawing sound conclusions from available evidence, and making well-supported decisions even when information is incomplete.

This seminar introduces you to the fundamental thinking processes that enable you to analyze and solve a wide variety of business problems with confidence and rigor. You will develop a structured approach to reasoning that will give you a powerful, competitive, and career advantage in any professional setting.

Who Should Attend:

Any individual who wants to be better equipped to tackle today's complex business challenges using a disciplined process for reasoning, analysis, and decision-making.

How You Will Benefit:

• Develop greater clarity around possible solutions and their implications
• Avoid emotional triggers and cognitive biases that interfere with clear thinking
• Generate and systematically test solutions to unusual or complex problems
• Interpret probability and likelihood to build confidence in your decisions
• Negotiate effectively among competing variables and constraints
• Recognize the critical distinction between rationality of purpose and rationality of process

What You Will Cover:

• Assessing patterns, recognizing probabilities, and developing hypothetical thinking
• Ensuring that your conclusions are well-founded and defensible
• Distinguishing between problem-solving and decision-making as distinct processes
• Understanding how uncertainty and risk shape the way you approach decisions
• Reducing conflict and avoiding groupthink in group decision contexts
• Applying tools and techniques to sharpen both analytical and intuitive decision-making
• Applying personal experience thoughtfully to complex decisions under uncertainty

Outline:

Learning Objectives

• Use the A.R.T. and A.I.D. Skill Bundles to Analyze and Make Better Decisions
• Refine Your Ability to Assess Patterns, Recognize Probabilities, and Think Hypothetically
• Use Counterfactual Thinking to Increase the Likelihood That Your Conclusion Is the Right One
• Distinguish Between Problem Solving and Decision Making to Identify True Decisions
• Recognize How Your Feelings About Uncertainty and Risk Impact the Way You Make Decisions
• Identify Personal Characteristics That Inform Your Perception of What Makes a Decision Right, to Reduce Conflict and Groupthink
• Apply Tools and Techniques for Sharpening Analytical and Intuitive Aspects of Decision Making
• Apply Personal Experience More Deliberately to Complex Decision Making Under Conditions of Uncertainty

Components of Thought

• Describe the Science Behind How the Brain Processes and Analyzes a Typical Decision
• Recognize the Importance of Analytical Thinking in Business Contexts
• Define Three Key Analytical Reasoning Skills: Assessing Patterns, Recognizing Probabilities, and Thinking Hypothetically

ART: Assess Patterns

• Describe the Three Subskills Associated with Assessing Patterns
• Distinguish Between Three Common Information Patterns
• Explain How Recognizing Patterns Can Increase Decision-Making Efficiency

ART: Recognize Probabilities

• Describe Three Subskills Associated with Recognizing Probabilities
• Discuss How Personal Judgment About Likely Outcomes Influences Problem Solving
• Identify Implicit Probabilities to Assess the Level of Risk in a Given Situation
• Assess the Frequency of Specific Occurrences
• Explain How Probability Judgments Help You Work Within Multiple Constraints

ART: Think Hypothetically

• Distinguish Between Inductive and Deductive Thinking
• Develop a Hypothesis That Leads to Generating Decision Alternatives
• Use Counterfactual Thinking to Test Your Hypothesis
• Assess When You Lack Sufficient Information to Form a Complete Hypothesis

Applying ART to Real-World Situations

• Apply All Three Bundles of Analytical Thinking Skills to Real Business Scenarios
• Enhance Your Ability to See the Relevance of Analytical Reasoning in Daily Work
• Gain Greater Facility with Analytical Reasoning Skills Through Deliberate Practice

Connecting the Dots: Analytical Reasoning and Decision Making

• Define What a Decision Is and How Analytical Reasoning and Decision Making Are Interrelated
• Distinguish Between Simple and Complex Types of Decisions
• Become Familiar with Three Decision Analysis Tools: Decision Worksheets, Decision Trees, and Force Field Analysis

Personal Decision-Making Preferences

• Recognize How Values and Experience Shape Our Perceptions
• Identify Your Personal Decision-Making Preferences
• Identify the Decision-Making Preferences of Those Around You
• Explain How Group Decision Making Differs from Individual Decision Making

Psychological Factors Impacting Decision Making

• Identify Personal Attitudes Toward Decision Making
• Articulate the Common Reasons for Decision Avoidance
• Describe the Primary Cause of Hasty Decisions: Overconfidence
• Apply Techniques to Avoid the Most Common Pitfalls in Decision Making

Personal Judgment and Decision Making

• Describe the Dual Process of Decision Making
• Define Personal Judgment, or Heuristics
• Identify Your Personal Rules of Thumb
• Apply Four Techniques to Sharpen Personal Judgment
• Explain the Impact of Emotion on Personal Judgment

The Context for Analytical Reasoning and Decision Making

• Understand Your Organizational Context and How It Shapes Your Decision Making
• Apply Interpersonal and Communication Skills to Convey Decisions with Maximum Clarity and Impact
• Anticipate Pitfalls You May Encounter When Applying Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Create an Action Plan for Developing Your Analytical, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making Skills