How do critical thinking behaviors work together for success?

Individual contributors are critical to organizational success. For companies to thrive in today’s world they must have employees who engage and innovate in all aspects of the business. Because the number of problems far exceeds what executives and managers have time for, each person must understand how they can address problems in creative ways, and then execute these decisions to ensure quick and timely solutions. As employees begin to see successful returns from their decisions, they become more confident, and their efforts to contribute grow.

What does the program look like?

Objective:

Participants will gain the knowledge and skills they need to understand the problems they face in a business environment, use logic and alternative methods to find creative resolutions, and then use courage to work together to make and carry out necessary decisions.

Course Outline:

1. The Problem Statement: 1 hour — Critical to effective problem solving is an accurate and comprehensive definition of the problem at hand.  This section tackles the challenge of effectively identifying the real problem.  Included is material on positions and interests, and facilitation skills necessary to begin the resolution and decision-making process.  Includes problem definition evaluation and rewriting, position and interest role plays and group activities, as well as basic group facilitation practice.
2. Creative Thinking – 1 hour — focuses on identifying the proverbial “box” and how to think “outside” it.  Includes critiquing a series of situational experiences and common, “canned” resolutions.  Participants engage in group evaluations.
3. Problems at 30,000 feet: 1 hour — Participants step back from the problems they face and look at them from a “higher” perspective.  Involves a series of “Go to the Mountain” exercises to see problems more objectively and strengthen “higher thinking” skills.
4. Levels of Decision Making: 1 hour — Effectively solving problems begins with applying the right decision making model.  This material covers the leadership models from Directive to Delegation. Includes examples of decision making and identifying participant styles, evaluating whether the “right” style was used, and making correction as necessary.
5. Collaboration and Team Empowerment: 1 hour — This material teaches the basics of collaboration, the struggles and barricades to effective collaboration, and the ultimate benefits of using this conflict resolution strategy to empower the workplace team in problem definition and resolution.  Involves compare and contrast exercises to illustrate specific elements of collaboration.
6. Freedom vs. Control: 1 hour — Many problems, especially those found in the workplace, involve a clash between giving freedom and taking control of a problematic situation.  A good leader has learned how to balance these two elements.  Includes group activities that distinguish and emphasize the use of both freedom and control in situational examples.
7. Collaborative Conflict Management: 1 hour — Putting together the elements of this training course, participants will engage in exercises to help them collaboratively identify the many facets of problems and facilitate a cooperative effort to creatively solve them.  Includes role plays. group activities and discussion to give participants practice heading up a collaborative process.