Critical Thinking

Do you often feel overwhelmed by the volume of information and competing demands? What if you could develop a proven process for thinking that leads to better decisions and more effective solutions? In this course, you will discover and practice techniques to generate innovative ideas and address your most critical organizational challenges. You will learn how to ask thoughtful questions, examine assumptions carefully, and understand multiple perspectives with clarity and insight.

What You Will Learn:

• Convert abstract concepts into concrete, measurable results
• Assess ideas carefully and refine your thinking and assumptions
• Make decisions based on credible evidence and sound reasoning
• Make significantly better business decisions consistently

What You Will Also Receive:

• The "My Thinking Styles" personal assessment, which measures your individual thinking preferences
• A customized development report with your assessment results and identified growth areas
• AMA's Critical Thinking Model and a practical action plan for implementing critical thinking skills in your workplace
• Pre and post-program assessments to measure your growth
• Review materials to reinforce and refresh what you learned after the program ends
• A comprehensive toolkit with practical resources, available through the AMA Learning Portal

Ideal Participants:

All business professionals who want to strengthen their thinking and reasoning processes to achieve better business results and outcomes.

Important Note:

Before attending, you will receive a link to the "My Thinking Styles" online assessment. You must complete this assessment before the program to participate fully and get maximum value from the seminar.

What You Will Learn and Cover:

The Foundations of Critical Thinking

• Understand the neurological and psychological processes involved in critical thinking
• Identify the mental habits and characteristics that support critical thinkers

Using Critical Thinking to Clarify Problems

• Collect and evaluate data and information sources
• Assess a situation carefully to identify the real problems
• Identify your own assumptions and recognize cognitive biases in your thinking
• Recognize common persuasion techniques and manipulative messaging
• Recognize and manage emotions in your decision-making
• Define problems clearly and translate them into actionable items

Developing Solutions Using Critical Thinking

• Apply techniques for testing and refining potential solutions
• Use visual models and diagrams to analyze data and identify gaps
• Seek out alternative perspectives and use constructive feedback

Understanding Your Thinking Mindset

• Analyze your "My Thinking Styles" assessment results
• Gain valuable insights into your critical thinking approach
• Identify which aspects of your thinking to develop further

Organizational Context and Critical Thinking

• Analyze organizational power dynamics, values, and formal and informal structures
• Develop key communication and interpersonal strategies to strengthen relationships

Applying Critical Thinking Skills

• Anticipate challenges and obstacles as you apply critical thinking
• Develop your personal action plan for strengthening critical thinking skills

Learning Objectives

• Use critical thinking skills to make better decisions more confidently and identify what matters most in meeting business challenges
• Apply critical thinking skills and tools to examine the information and knowledge you have, understand situations from multiple viewpoints, and take appropriate action