Critical Thinking

How to Teach Critical Thinking to Business Students: A Pragmatic Syllabus

Course Overview

G'day! My name is Dr Marcus Clarkson and I have dedicated the last two decades assisting businesses to make better decisions. (If working with everyone from small family based firms in Ballarat to multinationals in Melbourne has taught me anything, it's this: The difference between a thriving business and a struggling one often comes down to how well they think about the challenges they face.)

This isn't a course that's going to turn you into an academic philosopher. It's about providing you with pragmatic tools to help you cut through the noise, ask better questions and make decisions you can stand behind. Regardless of whether you are evaluating a proposal from a supplier, making a hiring decision or determining why your best customers are leaving, these will be valuable skills.

We will work through real life examples from my time on the ground around Australia , from the Queensland mining Company that almost made a million dollar blunder, to the Perth startup that saw an opportunity that nobody else had. You'll learn to think like a detective, question like a journalist and make decisions like a seasoned business owner.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, attendees will be able to:

Assess information systematically with tested frameworks, which will help you sort what is credible from what is credible from market fluff and the dreams of the hopeful

Recognise and eliminate the cognitive biases that distort judgement (confirmation bias, anchoring effects, groupthink, etc.

Organise complex problems into manageable parts using logical problem solving algorithm techniques.

Ask tough questions that dig beneath the surface to find true issues instead of symptoms

Evaluate arguments and evidence for logical consistency, authenticity, and its validity in relation to business decisions.

Articulate the rationale to stakeholders and drive consensus on reasoned conclusions

What You Will Learn

Section 1: The Premise For Clear Thinking

You'll find out why intelligent people regularly make stupid mistakes, and explore the mental shortcuts that ensnare us all. We're going to examine actual stories of when good intentions go wrong , and I'll tell you the simple tricks that will help you stop and think before you jump.

Module 2: Information Ethics and Source Quality

All data is not equal, and all experts are not worth heeding. You'll become a better judge of the plausibility of information you receive, how to notice misleading statistics and how correlation differs from causation. We'll be doing work with real business reports and proposals.

Module 3: Categorical Reasoning and Argumentation

Identify weak arguments before they squander your time and your money. You will become a black belt in spotting logical fallacies, knowing when emotion is influencing decisions, and creating airtight cases for your own recommendations.

Module 4: Structured Problem Solving Frameworks

We'll get through established methods of addressing difficult problems of business. Between root cause analysis and decision trees, you now have a toolkit of techniques that can transform you from being overwhelmed by a problem to solving it one step at a time.

Module 5: How to Question and Investigation Skills

The right questions can save you months of work , and thousands of dollars. You'll discover how to question assumptions, reveal more data points and steer conversations to a more productive end.

Module 6: Decision Making Under Uncertainty

Business rarely offers perfect information. You'll learn how to make good decisions without all of the information, to take healthy risks, and when to collect more data and when to make a call.

Course Delivery

How You Will Benefit This is an advanced training programme, which places an emphasis on an interactive workshop, case study based data analysis and practical development of filtering scripts. Every module involves actual Australian case studies, group discussions and personal reflections. You will leave with a plan of action for yourself as well as a box of tools you can use right away.

Concluding Remarks

And it has to be clear, critical thinking isn't about being the guy who is going to say no to everything, but about being the guy who's going to say yes to the right things. In a world of business that moves at lightning speed lined with factors beyond your influence, clear thinking, good questioning, and confident decision making differentiate the leaders from the rest.

This programme will change how you think about business, from day to day operational decisions to high level strategic planning. You will have the rigour of having faith in your own mind and your independently made decisions. Even better, you'll learn to trust your instincts while constantly calling assumptions into question, even your own.

No matter if you're starting out, leading a team, heading up a department or taking a Company public, that ability to think critically is how you'll stay ahead in the Australian job market.