1. Critical Thinking David Lieberman Professional Development Series
Director of Development

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5. Learning Objectives
Recognize what Critical Thinking is, and why it is valuable
Learn how to use inquiry to activate Critical Thinking skills
Discover where you commonly make thinking mistakes
Understand how mental models impact us

6. Learning Objectives Use the Ladder of Inference
Gain confidence by using problem solving tools and strategies
Understand problems from multiple perspectives with the
Formulate creative solutions using tools

7. The unexamined life is not worth living.
Socrates

8. p. 7 Self discovery
Why Critical Thinking?

9. If we don’t examine how we think, our thinking can be biased or uninformed
p. 8

10. The quality of life depends on quality of thought

11. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in quality of life
p. 8

12. Critical thinking defined
p. 8
Critical thinking defined

13. Critical thinkers commit to overcome egocentrism and sociocentrism
p. 8

14. Sociocentric [soh-see-oh-sen-trik]-adj.-
tending to regard one’s own social group as superior to others
p. 8

15. Critical Thinking is…
a self-directed, self monitored mode of thinking, decision making and problem solving
where the thinker improves the quality of thinking
by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking
and imposing intellectual standards upon them
p. 8

16. The right questions lead us to fair and reasonable decisions
p. 9

17. These questions guide us through the critical thinking and reasoning process
What is the issue? – what’s going on?
What is the conclusion? – what’s your reaction?
What are the reasons offered to support the conclusion?
Which words or phrases are ambiguous?
What are the value conflicts? Are our personal values conflicting? (teamwork vs. independent thinking, information rich vs. fast moving)
What are the descriptive assumptions? What stories are we telling ourselves?
p. 9
p Group Exercise

18. These questions guide us through the critical thinking and reasoning process
Are there any fallacies in the reasoning? Is our reasoning actually true?
How good is the evidence?
Are there rival causes?
Are the statistics deceptive?
What significant information is left out?
What OTHER reasonable reactions are possible?
p. 9
p Group Exercise

19. Critical Thinking David Lieberman Professional Development Series
Director of Development

20. Making our thinking process visible

21. Between the idea and the reality falls the shadow.
T. S. Eliot
p. 16 Self Discovery

22. We live in a world of self-generating beliefs which remain largely untested
p. 17

23. These beliefs come from what we observe, and our past experiences

24. when we aren’t thinking critically
Our beliefs are the truth
The truth is obvious
Our beliefs are based on real data
The data we select is the real data
p. 17

25. p. 18
Mental Models

26. MENTAL MODELS ARE THE ASSUMPTIONS AND STORIES WE CARRY IN OUR MINDS

27. If I believe people are trustworthy, I am more likely to be open to others

28. If I believe people can’t be trusted, I am more likely to be closed to others.

29. Ladder of Inference

30. I Select Data I Observe Data
I take actions
I adopt beliefs
about the world
I make assumptions
I add Meanings
(cultural and personal)
p. 20
p Group Exercise
I Select Data
I Observe Data

31. activate critical thinking skills on your team
p. 24
p. 25
There's something powerful about showing other people the links of your reasoning.
They may or may not agree with you, but they can see how you got there.
And you're often surprised yourself to see how you got there, once you trace out the links.

32. Critical Thinking David Lieberman Professional Development Series
Director of Development

33. Critical thinkers commit to overcome egocentrism and sociocentrism
p. 8

34. The slowing down of our thinking processes to become aware of how we form our own mental models
Reflection

35. Conversations where we share our own thinking, and through listening and questioning, develop knowledge about each other’s “mental models.”
p. 19
Inquiry

36. Decision Making Tools

37. DEAM Think of a problem or decision you have to address.
Lay out 2 pieces of paper.
For 3 minutes, brainstorm details on one page & distractions on the other.
Discard the distractions.

38. Each “Thinking Hat” is a different style of thinking
Analytical
Focus on available data
Look for gaps in knowledge
Analyze past trends
Intuitive
Use your gut reaction & emotion
Think of others’ emotional reactions
Pessimistic
Look for what might not work
Highlight weak points in a plan or course of action
Optimistic
Search for all the benefits of the decision and the value in it
Look for growth opportunities
Creative
Freewheeling way of thinking
Little or no criticism of ideas
Process
Chair of the meeting
Direct activity into different hat activity as needed
P How to Use the Tool: Six Thinking Hats
p Sample Scenario
p. 38 Six Thinking Hats: Key points

39. Pg. 40
The Delphi Method

40. Delhpi supports real collaboration by depersonalizing the process
p. 41 The Stepladder Technique

41. The slowing down of our thinking processes to become aware of how we form our own mental models
Reflection

42. Conversations where we share our own thinking, and through listening and questioning, develop knowledge about each other’s “mental models.”
p. 19
Inquiry

43. Productive Thinking Model

44. Productive Thinking Step 1: “What’s Going On?”
Step 2: “What’s Success?”
Step 3: “What’s the Question?”
Step 4: “Generate Answers”
Step 5: “Forge the Solution”
Step 6: “Align Resources” – Create an action plan
p. 42

45. p SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis

46. To achieving objectives
SWOT Analysis
Helpful
To achieving objectives
Harmful
Attributes of the organization
Internal Origin
Strengths
Weaknesses
External Origin
Attributes of the environment
Opportunities
Threats
p SWOT Analysis

47. p
DEAM – idea generator

48. Resources & fun Stuff

49. Action Plan