Thinking Clearly and Analytically

The Rationale
If we were to reduce all the activities of managing people and tasks to their most basic underlying competencies, we might be left with two: communicating and thinking. And an argument could be made to define communication as “shared thought” or as “thinking out loud.” In short, the ability to think clearly and analytically is one that managers are drawing upon every minute of the day.

It seems surprising, then, that we have not had required courses in public schools and colleges on how to think. Some aspects of analytical thinking are dealt with in courses on experimental design, statistics, English composition, logic, and so on, but the subject has been largely neglected in schools and in management development programs. This workshop represents a bold departure from the traditional curriculum of such programs.

Learning Objectives for the Workshop
Participants who attend this workshop will be able to:

• Assess their own thinking (left/right brain, inductive/deductive)
  
• Describe 3 ways to solve problems, with pros and cons of each
  
• Break down propositions into premises, arguments, and conclusions
  
• Test for the validity of each part of a logical proposition
  
• Define inductive and deductive argument with examples of each
  
• Identify 3 major barriers to effective reasoning
  
• List at least 4 ways of improving the quality of thinking at work
  
• Analyze 10 propositions (MAP situations) for their logic
  
• Evaluate the assumptions they’ve made about thinking and intelligence

Performance Criteria in the Workplace
Participants who attend this workshop will be able to:

• Apply a 12-item checklist to their own thinking on major activities
  
• Recognize personal bias (left/right brain) and compensate for it
  
• Use inductive and deductive thought processes appropriately
  
• Identify and correct fallacious arguments and faulty logic
  
• Withhold opinions until the facts are collected and evaluated
  
• Analyze how others think and draw on this to supplement one’s own style
  
• Generate lists of advantages/disadvantages before taking a stand
  
• Apply the process of analytical thinking taught in this module