Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving for Managers: (Making Informed Decisions)

Program Overview:

Successful organizations recognize that critical thinking and creative solutions to problems significantly enhance business potential. Today’s decision makers must use a variety of thinking styles, methodologies and creative processes. In this course, participants will develop skills to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. They will learn to leverage their personal thinking preferences using tools and techniques based on cutting-edge analysis

For whom:
Managers, Supervisors and Individuals at any level of an organization who wants to apply creativity and critical thinking skills to their decision-making process

Learning objectives:
At the end of the program, participants will be able to:
• make better decisions through critical thinking and creative problem solving;
• adapt to different thinking styles in group and team environments;
• recognize and remove barriers to individual and group creativity to foster an innovative work environment;
• systematically analyze a target problem; and
• present ideas clearly and concisely for maximum stakeholders buy-in.

Course outline:

Day 1: Basics of Problem Identification
• Understand the definition of a Problem and its characteristics
• Problem solving process – DMAIC
• Elements of Problem Identification
• Relationship between Cause-Effect-Symptom-Problem (CESP)
• Characteristics of problem statements
•
Day 2: Validation process for problem statements
• Applying guideline for clear problem statements
• Applying Root Cause Analysis
• Purpose and impact of RCA
• Review different RCA techniques
• Finalizing root-cause through a funneling process

Day 3: Creativity and problem-solving techniques
• The need for thinking skills
• Stages in problem solving and decision making
• The human brain
• Understanding the two hemispheres of the brain
• Critical thinking
• Lateral thinking
• Mental blocks to creative thinking
• Brainstorming
• The six thinking hats

Day 4: Developing Creative Solution Process
• Differentiating divergent and convergent techniques
• Applying tools and techniques for identifying
creative solutions
• Process to narrow down solutions
• Evaluating Solutions and Making Decisions

Day 5: Applying tools and techniques for evaluating solutions
• Finalize decisions with Decision Matrix
• Strategic Considerations in Implementing Decisions
• Identify and review action plans
• Develop and review follow up contingency actions
• Formulate after action review process

Training Methodology
Methodology: Lectures, discussions, exercises, case studies, audio-visual aids will be used to reinforce these teaching/learning methods.