Training Course Syllabus:

Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving

Get powerful problem-solving skills to more successfully reason through business problems

In today’s lean, flat organizations, it is everyone’s job to effectively solve problems. And while analytical thinking skills may seem natural, they’re not necessarily intuitive, and they don’t come easily to many people. Analytical thinking and problem solving are foundational thinking skills that involve breaking things down into their component parts. They also involve deductive reasoning, drawing conclusions from givens and applying judgments to reach conclusions from a combination of evidence and assumptions. This seminar introduces you to fundamental thinking processes so that you can successfully analyze and solve a wide variety of business problems. Get these essential analytical thinking and problem-solving skills now to give yourself a powerful competitive and career advantage!

How You Will Benefit

• Learn a process for breaking down complex problems into their components and gain clarity around possible solutions
• Apply strategies and techniques to avoid emotional triggers that can impede your best thinking
• Explore how to generate solutions to atypical problems and then test the solutions
• Know how to accurately interpret probability and other methods for increasing certainty in your judgment
• Learn strategies for negotiating among variables and conditions
• Recognize the difference between rationality of purpose and rationality of process
   

What You Will Cover

• Understanding how we think and reason
• Identifying underlying factors that explain why intelligent people do irrational things
• Using a four-part model for effective reasoning
• Balancing multiple conditions impacting a business situation
• Comprehending the foundations of conditional logic (if x, then y) and disjunctive logic (x or y), and when to use them
• Identifying the barriers and challenges to effectively using different kinds of logic
• Exploring the difference between logical analysis and facts
• Exploring the three aspects of probability and their application in business
• Moving from pieces to the big picture and creating/testing solutions
• Identifying common patterns to look for in data
• Comprehending the hypothetical method and its two stages: formation and testing
• Problem solving skills and first steps: seeing patterns, abstracting to models and developing hypotheses
• Using data to form and test a hypothesis
• Beyond fundamentals—moving from analytical thinking to critical thinking
• Applying the four components of analytical reasoning to a real-life work situation
• Tying it all together and forming your action plan

Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving Seminar Outline:

Learning Objectives

• Use a Process to Break Down Complex Problems into Component Parts and Gain Clarity Around Possible Solutions
• Hypothesize Solutions to Typical and Atypical Problems and Test These Hypotheses
• Apply Strategies and Techniques to Problem Solving When Conditions Are Not Ideal

Components of Thought

• Describe the Science Behind How the Brain Works When Analyzing a Typical Problem
• Recognize the Importance of Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving in Business
• Define the RAFT Process of Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving

Thinking Styles

• Identify Your Most Preferred Thinking Styles and Explain How They Relate to Problem Solving
• Describe Seven Thinking Styles
• Assess Which Thinking Styles You Are Most and Least Comfortable Using When Solving Problems
• Recognize How Your Thinking Style Is Expressed Within Each Step of the RAFT Process

RAFT—Recognize Inferences

• Describe the First Step in the RAFT Process—Recognize Inferences
• Distinguish Between Categorical and Conditional Inferences
• Recognize Why Drawing the Right Inferences Is a Critical Step in Breaking Down a Problem

RAFT—Assess Patterns

• Describe the Second Step in the RAFT Process—Assess Patterns
• Distinguish Among Three Common Information Patterns
• Explain How Recognizing Patterns Can Increase the Efficiency of Problem Solving

RAFT—Find Probabilities

• Describe the Third Step in the RAFT Process—Find Probabilities
• Describe How Your Personal Judgment About the Likelihood of an Outcome May Influence Your Ability to Solve Problems
• Identify Implicit Probabilities to Assess the Level of Risk Within a Given Situation
• Assess the Frequency of Specific Occurrences
• Explain How Probability Judgments Can Help You Work Within Multiple Constraints While Problem Solving

RAFT—Think Hypothetically

• Describe the Fourth Step in the RAFT Process—Think Hypothetically
• Distinguish Between Deductive and Inductive Thinking
• Create a Hypothesis About How to Solve a Problem
• Use Counterfactual Thinking to Test Your Hypothesis
• Assess When You Do Not Have Enough Information to Form a Complete Hypothesis

Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving in Business

• Use Techniques to Effectively Solve Problems When Conditions Are Not Ideal
• Apply Personal and Communication Skills to Convey Your Solution with Maximum Impact
 

Who Should Attend

Any individual who wants to be better equipped to face and solve today’s complex business problems by using a foundational process for reasoning and problem solving.

Credits:

1.2 CEU

This course is approved for GSA cost. Contact customerservice [@] findaseminar.com for cost.

TRAINING CLASS TIME:

9:00 AM–5:00 PM (last day ends at 4:30 PM)

Seminar Summary:

This seminar introduces you to fundamental thinking processes so that you can successfully analyze and solve a wide variety of business problems. (see full course description)

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