Thinking Skills (Zara iKOM)

Chapter 1: Introduction to Thinking Skills

A. What is Think and Thinking?
i. Think: Uncontrolled – mental activity, cognitive
and behaviour process.
ii. Thinking: Involves control – mind’s movement
become thinking when we direct them.
iii. Thinking is any mental activity that helps C. Understand the mind
formulate or solve a problem, make a decision, or
fulfil a desire to understand. It is a searching for
answers, a reaching for meaning (Ruggreio, 2012).

B. How about thinking skills?

i. Costa (1985) in Philips 1999, gives meaning to
thinking skills as a process by the mind as the result
of receiving stimulus of the five senses. The
meaning of stimulus then were seen in action.
ii. Dewey (1993) in Philips (1999) is an effort of the D. Thinking Process
mind to examine and weight certain information
according to specific criteria.
iii. Butterworth & Thwaites (2005): thinking skills
is a critical thinking and can be argumentative.
iv. Thinking Skills is cognitive process in search of
meaning and understanding of something,
exploration on any possible ideas, decision making,
problem solving and doing what is right, thus in
concerns on the reflections of what has been values
on the thinking.
E. Why is thinking skills is so important?
1. Able to use and outsource various resources in
a creative and specific ways in search of an answer
of/or problem solver to a certain problem.
2. Able to create and build positive social bonding.
3. To produce a self-learning, self-independence
and informative individual.
4. Able to better communication (good
communication skills).
F. Obstacles in developing thinking skills
1. Gunung Kinabalu’s effect
- Knowledge only on what has been taught. Not
showing neither abilities nor skills in search of any
new knowledge and additional skills within subject
matters.
2. Spoon feed’s teaching
- Everything was prepared for. Not willingly to be
self independence learning. Hoping everything to
be provided by the instructor.
3. Thinking trap!
G. Thinking Skills Model
Use of thinking skills in order to solve problem.
H. Type/Styles of Thinking
• Pemikiran logik (Logical thinking)
- to think based on knowledge, certain, proven
• Pemikiran kritikal (Critical thinking)
- think clearly, rationally, evaluates, judgments
• Pemikiran kreatif (Creative thinking)
- new perspectives
• Pemikiran analitikal (Analytical thinking)
- solve problems
• Pemikiran proaktif dan Pemikiran reaktif
(Proactive thinking and Reactive thinking )
- before problem (P), after problem (R)
• Pemikiran berlandaskan sejarah/kejadian
masa lampau (Historical thinking)
- facts about the past
• Pemikiran teknikal (Technical thinking)
- solve problem thru experience, involve
learned skills
• Pemikiran berhipotesis (Hypothetical
thinking) - assumption
• Pemikiran projektif (Projective thinking)
- new logics,without any influence
• Pemikiran konstruktif (Constructive
thinking) - interprete and respons
• Pemikiran berlandaskan naluri (Intuitive
thinking) - beyond mental process, no
proof
• Pemikiran objektif (Objective thinking)
- facts, unbiased, unpersonal
• Pemikiran vertikal (Vertical thinking)
- selective, analytical and sequential
• Pemikiran konvergen dan divergen
(Convergent and Divergent thinking)
- right or wrong, good or bad
• Pemikiran positif (Positive thinking)
- focus on bright side
• Pemikiran negatif (Negative thinking)
- focus on negativity
• Pemikiran berlandaskan emosi (Emotive
thinking)
- focus on emotion
Chapter 2: Noble Thinking in Religion &
Socioculture
A. What is Noble Thinking?
Noble Thinking is refer to the nature of mind and
thought that have respected positive norms. It is
related to religion though.
B. Common Universal Understanding of all
religions
1. Respect on the freedom of others.
2. Charitable practices.
3. Fair and justice.
4. Honest and trustworthy.
5. Cannot hurt other people, animals and
environment ie. surroundings.
6. Good deeds and sin
7. The existence of heaven and hell.
C. The Importance of Noble Thinking in Religion,
Socioculture, Economic and Politic.
1. To be able to unite mankind with different races,
ethnics, religions, belief systems, practices of
culture and norms.
2. To avoid conflicts which may arise as a result of
differences of races, ethnics, religions, belief
systems, practices of culture and norms.
D. Type of Noble Thinking
1. Thinking Skills in Religion
- Tolerance and understanding of differences in
religions and its practices.
i. Thinking Skills in Religion (Celebrations)
ii. Thinking Skills in Religion (Economic System)
- Justice in economic (wealth distribution and
reducing/eliminating poverty) by seeing and
agreeing in the importance of government
collecting taxes.
- The practices of zakat in Islam (various kinds)
and donation practices by other religion believers.
iii. Thinking Skills in Religion (Socioculture)
- Being fair and justice in society by trying to
understand their surrounding.
- Example, fasting. Fasting teaches one to
experience the life difficulties of the poor of not
being able to buy food and drink because of
poverty.
- Fasting is good for health as it induced good
circulation of blood, heighten the metabolism,
reduce body weight and so on.
2. Thinking Skills in Building
- Able to reduce emission that pollute the
environment.
- Able to plant seasonable plants.
- Able to reduce the use of energy such as electricity
and water.
- Application of thinking skills that can be seen in
buildings in older ages and centuries.
3. Thinking Skills in Education
- Applying thinking skills in designing effective and
efficient education system.
- Able to mould a knowledge, highly skilful and
professional individual.
- Able to produce an individual who is
independent in contributing knowledge, skills and
wealth to the nation’s, local community and his/her
people.
4. Thinking Skills in Technology
- To make domestic chores easier.
- To make management and production in
industrial areas easier, faster and ensure
efficiencies.
- To easy manage the data management.
5. Thinking Skills in Medicine
6. Thinking Skills in Transportation
- To have the accessibility to public and
commercial transport.
- To shorten the time and length of journey
- To be able to carry merchandise.
Chapter 3: Brain D. Brain Structure
A. What is Brain
- An organ of soft nervous tissue contained in the
skull of vertebrates, functioning as the coordinating
center of sensation and intellect.
B. Brain Characteristics
- The weight of your brain is around 3 pounds.
- 4 to 6 = the number of minute your brain can
survive without oxygen before it starts to die.
- 8 to 10 = the number of seconds you have before E. Function of Each Lobes
losing consciousness due to blood loss
- 10 to 23 = the number of watts of power your
brain generates when you’re awake (that’s enough
to turn on a light bulb).
- 20 = the percentages of oxygen and blood flow
going to the brain.
- 100,000 = the number of miles of blood flow
going to the brain.
- 1000 to 10,000 = the number of synapses for each i. The frontal lobes are responsible for problem
neuron in your brain solving and judgment and motor function.
- 100 billion = the number of neurons in your brain.
ii. The parietal lobes manage sensation,
C. Brain Size handwriting and body position.
- A human brain is around 1.3 to 1.5 kg (2.9 to 3.3 iii. The temporal lobes are involved with memory
lb) and hearing.
- Brain size tends to vary according to body size. iv. The occipital lobes contain the brain’s visual
processing system.
- The relationship is not proportional: the brain-to-
body mass ratio varies.
- Size doesn’t matter in the brain. There is no F. HOKA – HOKI
evidence that a larger brain is smarter than a - Roger Sperry (1965) successfully divide the brain
smaller brain. (split-brain).
- Divides into 2 regions of brain; Hemisfera Otak
Kiri (HOKI) and Hemisfora Otak Kanan
(HOKA).
 iii. Theta (4 – 7.5Hz)
- called as The Light Meditation and Sleeping
Wave
- Theta brain waves are present during deep
meditation and light sleep.
- It is the realm of your sub consciousness and only
experienced momentarily as you drift off to sleep
from Alpha and wake from deep sleep (from
Delta).

G. Brain Waves
iv. Delta (0.5 – 4Hz)
- called as The Deep Sleep Wave
- The Delta frequency is the slowest of the
frequencies and is experienced in deep, dreamless
sleep and in very deep, transcendence meditation
where awareness is fully detached.

i. Beta (14-40Hz)
- called as The Walking Consciousness &
Reasoning Wave
- Beta brain waves are associated with normal
waking consciousness and a heightened state of
alertness, logic and critical reasoning.
- While Beta brain waves are important for
effective functioning throughout the day, they also
can translate into stress, anxiety and restlessness.

ii. Alpha (7.5 – 14Hz)

- called as The Deep Relaxation Wave
- Alpha brain waves are present in deep relaxation
and usually when the eyes are closed, when you’re
sleeping into a lovely daydream or during light
meditation.
- It is an optimal time to program the mind for
success and it also heightens your imagination,
visualization, memory, learning and concentration.
Chapter 4: Human Cognitive Development
A. Introduction
- Cognitive Development is a field of study in
neuroscience and psychology
- It focuses on a child’s development in terms of
information processing, conceptual resources,
perceptual skill, language learning and other
aspects of brain development.
- Theory of cognitive development was first
introduced by Jean Piaget.
B. Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
- Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980) was employed at the
Binet’s Institute in the 1920s, where his job was to
develop French versions of questions on English
intelligence tests.
- He became intrigued with the reasons children
gave for their wrong answers on the questions that
required logical thinking.
- He was the first psychologist to make a systematic
study of cognitive development.
- The goal of the theory is to explain the
mechanisms and processes by which the infant,
and then the child, develops into an individual who
can reason and think using hypotheses.
- To Piaget, cognitive development was a
progressive reorganization of mental processes as a
result of biological maturation and environmental
experience.
C. Basic Components to Piaget’s Cognitive
Development Theory
i. Schema: building blocks of knowledge
- Schema are unit of knowledge, each relating to
one aspect of the world, including objects, actions
and abstract (i.e. theoretical) concepts.
- When a child’s existing schemas are capable of
explaining what it can perceive around it, it is said
to be in a state of equilibrium, i.e. a state of
cognitive (mental) balance.
ii. Assimilation, equilibrium, accommodation:
process that enable the transition from one stage to
another.
- Piaget viewed intellectual growth as a process of
adaptation, which happens through:
- Assimilation: which is using an existing schema to
deal with new object or situation.
- Accommodation: This happens when the existing
schema (knowledge) does not work and needs to
be changed to deal with a new object or situation.
D. Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
i. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years old)
- A period of rapid cognitive growth
- Initially equipped with a set of reflex movements
and a set of perceptual systems.
- Infant begins to build up direct knowledge of
world around him/her, by relating physical actions
to perceived results of those actions.
- Through the processes of assimilation and
accommodation, these actions become
progressively adapted to the world.
- Key feature: Object permanence
- Object permanence means knowing that an
object still exist, even if it is hidden.
ii. Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years old)
- Children at this stage can mentally represent
events and objects, and engage in symbolic play.
- At this stage, their thoughts and communications
are typically egocentric.
- Egocentrism refers to the child’s inability to see
from another person’s point of view.
- Children at this stage also display animism (the
belief that inanimate objects have human feelings
and intention).
- Key feature: Egocentrism.
“Children live in a world of imagination and feeling.
They invest the most insignificant object with any
form they please, and see in whatever they wish to
see” – by Adam, G. 1857.
iii. Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 years old)
- This stage is a major turning point in the child’s
cognitive development, because it marks the
beginning of logical and operational thought.
- The child is now mature enough to use logical
thought or operations (i.e. rules) but can only apply
to physical objects.
- Children become less egocentric and better at
conservation tasks.
- Conservation is defined as ‘the understanding that
something stays the same in quantity even though
its appearance changes’.
- Their thinking is more organized and rational “Every adult is in need of help, of warmth, of
protection, in many ways differing from and yet in
- They can solve problems in a logical, but are many ways similar to the needs of the child.” – by
typically not able to think abstractly or Erich Fromm, The Sane Society, 1955).
hypothetically.
- Key feature: Conservation.

iv. Formal Operations (11 years to adulthood)

- As the adolescents enter this stage, they gain the
ability to think in abstract manner, the ability to
combine and classify items in a more sophisticated
way, and the capacity for higher-order reasoning.
- The child begins to manipulate ideas in his/her
head, without any dependence on concrete
manipulation.
- S/he can think creatively, use abstract reasoning,
and imagine the outcome of particular actions.
- Key feature: Manipulate ideas in head, abstract
reasoning.
Chapter 5: Logic Thinking
A. Who defined the study of philosophy and logic?
- 3 Greek man: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
- These three philosophers form the basis of what
is known as Western Philosophy
- Every thinker and scientist that followed used
their methods
i. Socrates (b. 470 BCE)
- Developed the Socratic method:
- A series of questions are used to examine beliefs
and develop ideas.
- “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
- Question the question:
‘Why do you think that I asked that question?’,
‘Why was that question important?’, ‘Which of
your questions turned out to be the most useful?’
- “ There is only one good, knowledge, and one
evil, ignorance.”
- “Know thyself.”
- Was executed in Athens after being convicted of
corrupting the youth with his ideas.
ii. Plato (b. 428 BCE)
- Was Socrates’ brilliant student
- Travels extensively before returning to teach at
The Academy.
- Allegory of the Cave- the real world is only a
reflection of the truth, of a higher reality
- He believed that the perfect political system
would feature “philosopher kings” as it rulers,
people versed in ethics and who truly loved only
one thing: truth and knowledge
iii. Aristotle (b. 384 BCE)
- Plato’s student
- Aristotle studied almost every single topic from
anatomy to economics to geography, physics,
politics, psychology, religion, and even poetry.
- He founded his own school after leaving the
Academy, and his center of knowledge became
known as the Lyceum.
- Was Alexander the Great’s personal teacher.
- Developed a vast system of rules for logical
thinking to define the world.
- Much like a game has rules, so, too, must logic
- Syllogism def. If A=B and B=C, then A=C
- Causality: If I set fire to a piece of paper (cause)
then it will burn (effect).
- Scientific Method:
1. Observe and take notes
2. Make a theory
3. Test the theory
B. What is Logic?
- Logic is the study of the rules for correct, or valid,
reasoning.
- It is about argumentative that we do to find
support our reasoning
- Involve the Deduction and Induction process of
reasoning
- Logic is happening in our daily life, everyday we
use logic thinking
- Logical analysis is a process that comes naturally
to the human mind
- Process where we are more familiar than we
realize
C. Induction Reasoning
- Reasoning that typically moves from specific
examples to a larger, general conclusion.
- Start with your own experience and then
generalize a rule.
- If the premises are true, it is probable that the
conclusion is false.
- Example:
Tony dog’s bark when see people
All dog will bark when see people
D. Deduction Reasoning
- Reasoning that moves from the general to the
specific.
- It is a form of inference where if the premises are
true, the conclusion must also be true.
- Start with a rule and then apply it to new situations.
- Use syllogism
- Example:
All humans have two legs (major premise)
I am a human, (minor premise),
Therefore, I have two legs (conclusion).
Conclusion: G. True VS Valid Arguments

Deduction is the logical process of arriving at a

conclusion based on premises you KNOW to be
true.

Induction is the logical process of arriving at a

conclusion based on premises you ASSUME to be
true.

E. What are the unstated assumptions?

i. I failed that course because the instructor didn’t

like me.
Assumption: The instructor fails students he
doesn’t like.

ii. I’m not surprised he made the team. After all,

his father is the superintendent of schools.
Assumption: The superintendent gives special
favour to his family

iii. If I’d only taken my boss to lunch more often,

I could have gotten that raise.
Assumption: The boss denies raises to people who
don’t take him to lunch very often.

F. What is a Syllogism?

i. A specific method of Logical Deduction

(moving from the general to the particular)

ii. Every syllogism contains at least three parts:

- a major premise (global assumption)
- a minor premise (specific claim,)
- a conclusion (a statement that follows logically
from and is consistent with both the major and
minor premises.

iii. It’s kind of like simple math.

iv. If A=B and B=C, then A=C.

v. Examples:

All men are mortal.

Socrates is a man.
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
H. Fallacy

- Error in reasoning
- Differ with factual error
- Fallacy is an "argument" in which the premises
given for the conclusion do not provide the needed
degree of support
- Misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning
in argumentation.
- Fallacies are statements that might sound
reasonable or superficially true but are actually
flawed or dishonest.
I. Personal Attack
- Attacking or praising the people who make an
argument, rather than discussing the argument
itself.
- Personal character of an individual is logically
irrelevant to the truth or falseness of the argument
its:
i. Abusive: This persuasion comes from irrational
psychological transference rather than from an
appeal to evidence or logic concerning the issue at
hand.
ii. Circumstantial: To argue that an opponent
should accept an argument because of
circumstances in his or her life.
J. Type of Personal Attack
Chapter 6: Lateral Thinking
A. What is Lateral Thinking?
- Move out from our standard situation box.
- A process and willingness to look at things in a
different way = imagination
- Closely related to creativity, creativity is concern
about description of the result, lateral thinking is
description of the process
- More deliberate process and definite way of using
the mind.
- Lateral thinking is generative, vertical thinking
(traditional thinking) is selective.
- Not only looking for the best approach but trying
to produce as many different approaches.
- Vertical thinking is concerned with proving or
developing concept patterns, lateral is concerned
with restructuring such pattern (insight) and
provoking new ones (creativity).
- Eg: Why? Technique, to create discomfort with
any explanation, push to restructure the pattern.
- What can you put in a wooden box that
would make it lighter?
- The more of them you put in, the lighter
it becomes, yet the box stays empty.
B. Theory and Concept
I. Six Thinking Hats
- Sic Thinking Hats, a thinking skills training
course from Edward de Bono.
- Symbol of hats indicates role and hat can be put
or taken off with ease and visible to others.
- Teach parallel thinking as an alternative to
argument.
- Parallel thinking guides thought processes in on
direction at a time, so we can effectively analyse
issues, generate new ideas and make better
decisions.
1. White Hat Thinking
- Calls for information known or needed –
gathering JUST THE FACTS.
- Like computer, they do not argue just provide the
our demand.
- Wearing your white hat allows you to present
information in a neutral and objective way.
- Eg: In court, ideally the witness is wearing the
white thinking hat and should answer the question
factually.
- Eg: In presenting market data.
2. Red Hat Thinking
- Think of fire, think of warmth. Think of feelings.
Using the red hat give opportunity to express
feelings, emotions and intuition.
- No to force a judgment, just freely express the
feelings.
- Almost exact opposite of white hat thinking which
is neutral, objective and free of emotional.
- Eg: … don’t ask me why. I just don’t like this deal.
Its terrible..
- After all, emotion and intuition is part of thinking.
3. Black Hat Thinking
- Why something may not work?
- Using black hat thinking, look at all the bad points
of the decision. Look at it cautiously and
defensively.
- This is important because it highlights the weak
points in a plan.
- Allows us to eliminate, alter, or prepare
contingency plans to counter.
- Tends to overuse, so be careful. It is much easier
to criticise than to construct.
- Black hat thinking is always logic. There must be
a logical basis for the criticism.
- Example: ..I don’t like the idea of lowering prices..
- Black hat thinking emphasizes the value and
importance of caution even though in the
advantage situations.
- Eg: ..sales have risen dramatically after that
advertising campaign. Is there anything we need to
be cautious about? Let’s have some black hat
thinking here.
4. Yellow Hat Thinking
- Symbolizes brightness and optimism
- Explore the positive and probe for value and
benefit.
- It is the optimistic viewpoint that helps to see all
the benefits of the decision and the value in it.
- Yellow Hat thinking helps to keep going when
everything looks gloomy and difficult.
- The yellow hat thinking is a deliberate device
which the thinker chooses to adopt. The yellow hat
comes first and not the result of positive aspect.
- Eg: ...before you do anything else, I want you to
put on your yellow hat and tell me what you think
about this new approach.
5. Green Hat Thinking
- Focuses on creativity, possibilities, alternatives
and new ideas.
- This is where you can develop creative solutions
to a problem.
- It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there
is little criticism of ideas.
- Brain is designed as recognition machines, to set
up pattern, to use them & to condemn that not fit.
- Creativity involve provocation and change. Green
hat help thinker to force themselves to be creative
and not to be condemned deliberating the idea.
- Eg: ..I thought we are supposed to be wearing
green hat. We are being too much negative. Isn’t
that black hat thinking?
6. Blue Hat Thinking
- Think of the blue sky above. Think of overview.
- The blue hat is for thinking about thinking.
- The blue hat is for organization and management
of thinking. It is for the process of control.
- Blue hat responsible for summaries, overviews
and conclusions.
- Eg for organization: ..we have not got anywhere
so far. Putting on my blue hat, I would suggest we
have some red hat thinking to clear the air.
- Eg for conclusion & summaries: ..are we all
agreed that these are the conclusions that we
reached?
II. Six Action Shoes
- Six Actions Shoes are used when thinking is over
and action is the order of the day.
- Different situation require different actions.
- The Shoes separate action into six basic styles:
a. Routine
b. Crisis
c. Human Values
d. Enterprise
e. Investigate
f. Authority
1. Navy Formal Shoes
- Routine and Formal procedure
- The Navy Shoe action mode is about using formal
routines.
- A routine is a pattern of action that has been
predetermined. Once a routine has been selected,
then action consists of carrying out this routine.
- Essential to ensure safety. To avoid making
mistake.
- But we need to be careful that the routines don’t
stifle initiative and restrict flexibility.
2. Grey Sneakers
- Exploration, investigation, and collection of
evidence.
- Purpose of the action is to get information.
- These shoes are quiet, casual and relaxed.
- Exploring, but you don't know what you are going
to find.
- May use aids to thinking such as the 6 Thinking
Hats
- What you find determines your next step. If a
clue turns up you follow that clue.
Professions who use grey sneaker mode are:
- scientists pursuing a theory, investigating
journalists, detectives solving a crime. market
researcher, tax inspectors, police investigating
computer fraud.
3. Brown Brogues
- Practically and Pragmatism
- Brown is a practical colour. Brogues are hard
wearing shoes worn day-to-day.
- About practicality and good sense.
- "What can be done in this situation"?
- Flexibility is a key aspect to brown brogue action.
You change your behaviour as the situation
changes. You do what can be done. You do what
you can do.
- This is low key action. Good common sense is
used. It is action where you might "get your hands
dirty”.
4. Orange Gumboots
- Orange is not a gentle colour: it is vivid and
striking. The colour shrieks. Alarm bells ring.
- Special occasions.
- Concerned with emergency situations.
- Once something is classified as an emergency,
then priorities change. There are new rules for
action.
- Professions who are trained to work in orange
gumboot mode are: Police officers, Fire fighters,
Doctors, Ambulance officers, Soldiers in action
- As well as physical crises there are other types of
crises such as financial, personal and community
5. Pink Slippers
- Care, compassion, and attention to human
feelings and sensitivities.
- Pink is a warm colour. It is a conventionally
feminine colour.
- About human feelings, compassion, sympathy
and tender loving care.
- People caring for people is the essence of a family.
- People caring for people defines a successful
community.
- People caring for people is the basis of civilization
- Professions involved in Pink Slipper action mode
are:
i. Nurses
ii. Teachers
iii. Social workers
iv. Doctors
- This mode adds an element of human caring and
compassion to other actions
6. Purple Riding Boots
- Authority
- It is the colour of royalty.
- Purple action mode indicates an authority role;
people who hold authority positions may act
differently in those roles as they do as individuals.
- Riding boots are not normal wear. They are worn
by people riding horses or motorbikes. Riding
boots used to be associated with the privileged.
Eg: A horseman
- Not necessarily a superior one, but when an
official acts within the boundaries of that role, and
then he or she has more authority than someone
without an official role.
Chapter 7: Human Intelligence – Howard
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
- Gardner’s focus on human potential lies in the
fact that people have a unique blend of capabilities
and skills (intelligences)
- Multiple intelligences help us to understand
humans
i. Overall personality
ii. Preferences
iii. Strengths
A. Verbal Linguistic
- well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the
sounds, meaning and rhythms of words.
- editors, copywriters, journalist
- explain and interprets idea by written words
(reading, listening, writing).
B. Logical Mathematical
- ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and
capacity to discern logical and numerical patterns.
- Analyst, bankers, accountants, statistician.
- Learning through reasoning and problem solving
number (analyse, detect pattern).
C. Visual Spatial
- capacity to think in images and pictures, to
visualize accurately and abstractly.
- architects, artists, city-planners interpretation and
creation of visual images, pictorial imagination and
expression.
- enjoy drawing, playing puzzle and day dream.
D. Bodily Kinesthetic
- ability to control one’s body movements and to
handle objects skilfully
- dancers, athletes, sign-language interpreters
- use the body effectively, concrete experiences
- enjoy role play, hands on, physical activity.
E. Interpersonal
- capacity to detect and respond appropriately to
the moods, motivations and desires of others
- care givers, coaches, counsellors.
- extraverted, enjoy socializing, enjoy teaching
others.
F. Intrapersonal
- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner
feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes.
- they have wisdom, intuition and motivation, as
well as a strong will, confidence and opinions.
- independent of the learners.
G. Musical
- ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch
and timber
- acoustic engineers, composers, DJs
- study better with music in the background,
turning lessons into lyrics.
H. Naturalist
- ability to recognise and categorise plants, animals
and other objects in nature.
- zookeepers, veterinarians, gardeners.
- learn through classification, categories and
hierarchies
- likes to be outside, likes animals, enjoy gardening.
I. Existential
- sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions
about human existence. What is the meaning of
life?
- Spiritual person
J. Emotional
- ability to understand other people, what motivates
them & how to work cooperatively with them.
- self aware, self regulations, motivation, empathy,
social skills.
- team leader, good in persuading, good
communication skills, moderator in conflicts.
Chapter 8: Problem Solving & Decision Making II. How to List out choices
A. What it is?
- Decision-making is closely related to problem
solving, sometimes difficult to distinguish and there
is also a confusion that both is the same skill.
- Decision-making and problem-solving skills are
two different things and has its own uniqueness.
B. Differences?
- Decision making can be defined as mental
process involving the person choosing the best
D. Problem Solving
options from a number of options available based
on the purpose and specific criteria. “The measure of success is not whether you have
a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the
- Meanwhile, solving problems is a mental process
same problem you had last year.” – by John Foster
to overcome the barriers faced by specific goals
Dullers, Former US Secretary of State.
and criteria.
I. 5 Steps in Problem Solving
C. Decision Making
a. Be aware of the problem
I. Decision Making Steps
b. Understand the problem
c. Explore the options
d. Explore the consequence of a choice
e. Choose the best option as a solution.
II. Problem Solving Loop

II. Importance of Decision Making Skills

- Prevent us from making mistakes while thinking
and take actions that will not benefit us.
- Make use of existing information sources.
- Consider and evaluate all the options available.
- Able to make the best selections.
- Reflection before implementing an action.
- Acting on a decision made based on the criteria
and purpose
III. Importance of Problem Solving
- Can find the best solution;
- Refrain from acting in a hurry;
- Explore and consider many options;
- Enable individuals to think in a systematic and
rational
- Enabling actions on decisions that have been
taken into account all the factors
- Reflection before implementing an action
Chapter 9: Leadership
A. Introduction
- Habit is a blend of knowledge, desire and skill.
- Every leader should have interpersonal skills.
- Every leader should possess appropriate
personality and characters
- According to Stephen Covey, effective leadership
habit is to think win-win, i.e. the overall philosophy
of human interactions.
- Excellence is a habit.
B. Stephen Richards Covey
- Born in 1932 and passed away on 16/7/2012.
- Was an American educator, author, businessman,
and keynote speaker.
- Was a professor at School of Business, Utah State
University.
- His most popular book is “The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People”
I. Habit 1: Be Proactive
- Be Proactive is about taking responsibility for
your life.
- Proactive people do not blame genetics,
circumstances, conditions or conditioning for their
behaviour.
- Reactive people are often affected by their
physical environment and they find external
sources to blame for their behaviour.
- A proactive person uses proactive language (e.g: I
can, I will, I prefer etc.)
- A reactive person uses reactive language (e.g: I
can’t, I have to, If only etc.)
- Proactive people focus their time and energy on
things they can control.
- The problems, challenges, and opportunities we
face fall into two areas:
a. Circle of Concern
b. Circle of Influence
- Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle
of Influence i.e they work on the things they can
do something about.
- Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of
Concern i.e things over which they have little or no
control.
- Therefore, gaining an awareness of the areas in
which we expend our energies in is a giant step in
becoming proactive.
II. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
- Habit 2 is based on imagination i.e the ability to
envision in your mind what you cannot at present
see with your eyes.
- It is based on the principle that all things are
created twice (i.e first, mental creation, followed by
second, physical creation).
- Means to begin each day, task, or project with a
clear vision of your desired direction and
destination, and then continue by flexing your
proactive muscles to make things happen.
- One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 into
your life is to develop a Personal Mission
Statement.
- Your mission statement makes you the leader of
your own life.
- You can create your own destiny and secure the
future you envision.
III. Habit 3: Put First Things First
- Habit 1 says “You’re in charge”. Being proactive
is about choice.
- Habit 2 is the first, or mental creation. Beginning
with the end in mind is about vision.
- Habit 3 is the second creation, the physical
creation. This habit is where Habits 1 and 2 come
together.
- It deals with many of questions addressed in the
field of time management and life management.
- What are first things? First things are those things
you, personally, find of most worth.
- If you put first things first, you are organizing and
managing time and events according to the
personal priorities you established in Habit 3.
IV. Habit 4: Think Win-Win
- Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a
competitive one.
- Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that
constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human
interactions.
- Win-win means agreements or solutions are
mutually beneficial and satisfying.
- A person or organization that approaches
conflicts with a win-win attitude possesses three
vital character traits:
a. Integrity – sticking with your true feelings, values
and commitments.
b. Maturity – expressing your ideas and feelings
with courage and consideration for the ideas and
feelings of others.
c. Abundance mentality – believing there is plenty
for everyone.
V. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be
Understood
- Communication is the most important skill in life.
- You spend years learning how to read and write,
and years learning how to speak.
- What about listening?
- Most people listen with the intent to reply, not to
understand.
VI. Habit 6: Synergize
- Synergy means “two heads are better than one”
- Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation.
- It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the
adventure of finding new solutions to old problems.
- It is a process, and through that process, people
bring all their personal experience and expertise to
the table. Together, they can produce better results
than they could individually.
- Difference should be seen as strengths not
weaknesses
VII. Habit 7: Sharpen The Saw
- Means preserving and enhancing the greatest
asset you have – YOU.
- It means having a balanced program for self- D. JOHARI Window of Interpersonal
renewal in the four areas of your life – physical, Development
social/emotional, mental and spiritual.
- Johari window is a technique created by Joseph
- As you renew yourself in each of the four areas, Luft and Harrington Ingam in 1955 in the United
you create growth and change in your life. States.
- It is used to help people better understand their
relationship with self and others.
- It is used primarily in self-help groups and
corporate settings as a heuristic exercise.

- Sharpen the saw keeps you fresh so you can

continue to practice the other six habits.
- Without this renewal, the body becomes weak,
the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit
insensitive, and the person selfish.
VIII. Habit 8: Find Your Voice and Inspire Others
to Find Theirs.
- The essence of this habit is that you will find your
voice when you can say that you are 100% involved
in what you are doing with your life.
- By 100% involvement, what is meant is that your
body, mind, heart and spirit are all engaged in the
adventure – whatever that is for you.
- To find your voice, you need to examine your
natural talent – you are good at something! Don’t
let anyone convince you otherwise.
- When you have found your voice, you can begin
inspiring others to do the same thing.
- The very top people in truly great organizations
are “Servant Leaders”.
- They are the most humble, the most reverent
(appreciative), the most open, the most teachable,
the most respectful and the most caring.
C. How To Create 8th Habit Leadership
- The 8th Habit leader has the mind-set and the
skill-set to constantly look for the potential in
people.
- This kind of leadership communicates to people
their own worth so clearly that they come to see it
in themselves.
I. Johari Region 1: known to self and known by - It can also be used to assess and improve a
others group’s relationship with other groups.
- Also known as ‘the area of free activity’ - Today, the Johari Window model is especially
relevant due to modern emphasis on, and
- This is the information about the person e.g: influence of, ‘soft’ skills, behaviour, empathy,
behaviour, attitude, feelings, emotion, knowledge, cooperation, inter-group development and
experience, skills, views, etc. – known by the interpersonal development.
person (the self) and known by the group (others).
- The Johari Window concept is particularly
- The aim in any group should always be to develop helpful to understand employee/employer
the ‘open area’ for every person, because when we relationships.
work in this area with others we are at our most
effective and productive, and the group is at its F. Listening Skills
most productive too.
i. What is Listening?
II. Johari Region 2: known to others but unknown
to self - The process of receiving, constructing meaning
from, and responding to spoken and/or nonverbal
- It is what is known about a person by others in the messages; to hear something with thoughtful
group, but it is unknown by the person him/herself. attention
- By seeking or soliciting feedback from others, the - Listening is the most important communication
aim should be to reduce this area and thereby to skill
increase the open area i.e to increase self-
awareness. - We probably spend more time using our listening
skill than any other kind of skills
III. Johari Region 3: known to self and unknown
to others - The first and the foremost communication skill
that we learn in our lives is nothing but
- Is what is known to ourselves but kept hidden “LISTENING”
from, and therefore unknown, to others.
- By telling others how we feel and other
information about ourselves we reduce the hidden
area, and increase the open area which enables
better understanding, cooperation, trust, team-
working effectiveness and productivity.
IV. Johari Region 4: unknown to self and
unknown to others
- Contains information, feelings, latent abilities, ii. Listening OR Hearing?
experiences etc, that are unknown to the person
- Listening and hearing are not the same. Hearing
him/herself and unknown to others in the group.
is the first stage of listening. Hearing occurs when
- Large unknown areas would typically be expected our ears pick up sound waves which are then
in younger people, and people who lack transported to our brain.
experience or self-belief.
iii. Process of Listening
E. More abour JOHARI Window
- Johari Window is a very elegant and potent model,
simply helping people to understand, is the most
effective way to optimise the value to people.
- The Johari Window model is a simple and useful
tool for illustrating and improving self-awareness,
and mutual understanding between individuals
within a group.
iv. Type of Listening
a. Discriminative Listening – involves identifying
the difference between various sounds. Enables
one to differentiate between familiar and
unfamiliar language.
b. Comprehension Listening – involves attaching
meaning to what is being listened to. It may also
include comprehending the non-verbal message
being conveyed by the speaker.
c. Evaluative Listening - Involves evaluating and
analysing the message being received. Judging the
acceptability of what is said depending on how
logical one finds it to be.
d. Attentive Listening – involves paying attention to
the words that are being spoken.
the listener with sufficient time to let his mind
wander.
c. Psychological Barriers
- Being unsure of the speaker’s ability – Based on
past experience or inputs from sources, the listener
may have preconceived notion of the speaker’s
ability.
- Personal anxiety – listener is preoccupied with
personal concerns and anxieties.
- Attitude – Listener may be highly egocentric with
a “know it all attitude” and may not listen.
- Impatience – Listener may not have patience to
wait for the other person to finish what he has to
say. Eager to add his own point.

e. Pretence Listening – involves more hearing than - Emotional blocks - Our deep seated beliefs in
listening. It means pretending through facial certain ideas may make it difficult for us to listen to
expressions that one is listening when actually not. ideas which go against our belief.

f. Selective Listening – Involves selecting the vi. Sympathy VS Empathy

desired part of the message and ignoring the Sympathy - Feeling sorry for someone going
undesired part of the message. through a bad situation.
g. Intuitive Listening – Listening through intuitive Empathy – putting yourself in the other person’s
mind by silencing the other forms of internal shoes and feeling what they are feeling.
dialogues on simultaneously.
Empathy
v. Barriers of Effective Listening
“Can be describe as feeling the feelings of another
a. Physical Barriers with the greatest accuracy and effort”
- Noise
- Poor acoustics
- Defective mechanical devices
- Frequent interruptions
- Uncomfortable seating arrangements
- Uncomfortable environment
- Message overload
b. Physiological Barriers
a. State of Health – Listener or speaker having
fever, pain or any form of bodily discomfort.
b. Disability – Hearing deficiencies, speech
disorder or speaker’s accent may also make it
difficult to comprehend.
c. Wandering attention – Human mind can
process words at the rate of about 500 minute,
whereas a speaker speaks at the rate of about 150
per minute. The difference between the two leaves