CRITICAL THINKING

Creative Thinking Techniques

TOPICS COVERED

• ‘What if’ compass

• Unification method of creativity
• Thinking Hats Method
• Attribute Listing Method
 ‘What if’ compass

The What-If Analysis is a decision making method that helps to make the right decision
and think about what effect it will have beforehand.
It can also prevent that no single person can make a decision, but that a number of people
are responsible for that.
The What-If analysis is helpful for that as well.

DRAFT A WHAT IF ANALYSIS

Unification method of creativity

-x÷ UNIFICATION
 6 Thinking Hats Method

"Six Thinking Hats" can help you to look

at problems from different perspectives,
but one at a time, to avoid confusion
from too many angles crowding your
thinking.

It forces you to move outside your

habitual thinking style, and to look at
things from a number of different
perspectives. This allows you to get a
more rounded view of your situation.
 Attribute Listing Method

Attribute listing is a great technique for ensuring all possible aspects of a

problem have been examined. Attribute listing is breaking the problem down
into smaller and smaller bits and seeing what you discover when you do.

shaft material
lead type
hardness and width of lead
quality
colour
weight
price, etc.
Evaluation of Conflict during the Critical Thinking Process

TOPICS COVERED

• Defining conflict and its purpose

• What is a conflicting decision?
• Sources and types of conflict
• Essential skills to handle conflict
• 5 conflict resolution techniques
 Defining conflict and its purpose

Conflict, arguments, and change are natural parts of our lives, as well as the
lives of every agency, organization, and nation. Conflict resolution is a way
for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among
them. The disagreement may be personal, financial, political, or emotional.

PURPOSE?
 What is a conflicting decision?

Vacation - It's time to plan your family vacation for the year. Not shockingly, the kids
are leaning towards the Disney World vacation. Parents are leaning towards a tropical
beach vacation in Hawaii. Each option has advantages and disadvantages. It's your job
as a parent to make the decision.

Car - Your car is about to give out and you're ready to buy a new one. You've been
researching and have narrowed it down to two options. One has more trunk space.
Another has a more appealing design.

Career
Sources and types of conflict
 Essential skills to handle conflict / Techniques
TECHNIQUES SKILLS

• FORCING – Also known as • The capacity to empathize with the other

Competing person’s viewpoint

• WIN WIN – Also known as
Collaborating
• COMPROMISING – Also known as
Reconciling
• WITHDRAWING – Also known as
Avoiding
• SMOOTHING – Also known as
• Calm, non-defensive, and respectful
reactions
• A readiness to forgive and forget, and to
move past the conflict without holding
resentments or anger
• The ability to seek compromise and
avoid punishing
• A belief that facing conflict head on is

accommodating the best thing for both sides

 Structuring Arguments

TOPICS COVERED

• How to construct well-structured arguments

• Respond versus react
• How to think and reason differently through application of broad
knowledge and experiences
• Techniques of clarification
• Argument Map
• Intelligent questioning skills
 How to construct well-structured arguments

• Structure - A good argument must meet the fundamental structural requirements of a well-
formed argument

• Relevance - must be relevant for the truth or merit of the conclusion

• Acceptability - argument should be likely to be accepted

• Sufficiency - sufficient to justify the acceptance of his or her conclusion

• Rebuttal - A good argument includes an effective rebuttal to all anticipated serious

criticisms of the argument
 How to think and reason differently

• Challenge Yourself

• Get rid of Negativity

• Start a Fresh
Techniques of clarification
 Argument Map

Argument mapping is, roughly, making a

picture of reasoning. More precisely, it
is the graphical display of the structure
of reasoning and argumentation.

Typically, argument maps are box-and-

arrow diagrams, a bit like flowcharts.
Argument mapping belongs to a family
of "thought mapping" techniques which
includes concept mapping and mind
mapping. Argument mapping is
distinctive in focusing exclusively on
reasoning or argument structure, and is
specialized for that purpose.
 Intelligent questioning skills

Open and Closed Questions - What happened at the meeting? / How was the
party?

Funnel Questions - "How many people were involved in the fight?“ / "What
sort of ages were they?"

Probing Questions - "When do you need this report by, and do you want to
see a draft before I give you my final version?"

Leading Questions - "How late do you think that the project will deliver?"

Rhetorical Questions - "Isn't John's design work so creative?"