Problem Solving Critical Thinking - v5.pptx

Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking
Dr. Magdi Ibrahim Ph.D.

Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will learn the following knowledge,
skills and attitudes:
• Learn the definitions and concepts of problem-solving.
• Study creative problem-solving and brainstorming techniques.
• Understand specific tools and techniques to identify problems, research
solutions, and analyze results.
• Grasp the concepts of critical thinking techniques and develop an
organizational problem-solving environment.
• Analyze qualities and habits of effective critical thinkers
• Establish strategies for overcoming common barriers to critical thinking

Learning Objectives
• Identify and apply key critical thinking strategies to tackle
challenges and weather business changes.
• Explore a variety of decision-making frameworks to solve
personal and professional problems.
• Incorporate a formal model into workplace problem-solving
efforts.
• Use various tools and strategies to generate ideas for
workplace problems.
• Demonstrate leadership techniques to support problem-solving
efforts.
• Use collaboration to effectively solve workplace problems.

Training Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will achieve the
following outcomes:
• Think through problems before reaching a conclusion.
• Ask questions that facilitate better decision-making.
• Enhance your judgment in challenging situations.
• Employ critical thinking to solve problems, identify
opportunities, and effectively manage change.

Training Outcomes
• Explore characteristics of critical thinkers and identify
strategies for overcoming common thinking patterns.
• Use tools and strategies of critical thinking to match your
current workplace situations.
• Improve your logic, sharpen your judgment, and make
better decisions through critical thinking by exploring
alternative solutions to problems.
• Discover how to question assumptions, apply sound
reasoning, break down complex issues into manageable
pieces, and grasp the implications of information.

Outline
 Problem solving and critical thinking definitions and
concepts.
 Profile of a problem solver and critical thinker
 Critical thinking behaviors: active listening and probing
 Identify and evaluate issues and viewpoints
 Critical thinking checklist
 Creative problem solving
 Creative methods
 Critical thinking and problem-solving the key to effective
decision making

Outline
 Lateral thinking techniques
 The Iceberg Principle and the Understanding-
Resolution Ration
 Problem thinking and critical techniques
 Problem-solving steps for decision making
 Individual and collective decision-making traps
 How to choose: criteria, goals and vision-based
decision-making
 Individual and group decision-making tools and
techniques

Outline
 Decision-making – practical application to a
workplace scenario
 6 Hats of thinking
 Personality styles in decision making – DISC
approach
 Creating an organization's creative thinking culture.

Problem
Proportunity
Opportunity
Challenge
✔

Definitions and concepts
A. What is problem-solving and critical thinking?
• The process which we use when we come up with a
new idea to face a situation or a problem.
• Merging ideas never merged before.
• Accidental.
• Deliberate.
• Developments of products.
• Ongoing, continuous investigation, questioning,
analysis, training, education, and learning techniques.
•
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•
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‫ا‬

• Critical thinking is the intellectual process of
logically, objectively, and systematically evaluating
information to form reasoned judgments, utilizing
reasoning, logic, and evidence. It involves:
1.Identifying and questioning assumptions,
2.Applying consistent principles and criteria,
3.Analyzing and synthesizing information,
4.Drawing conclusions based on evidence.
• The importance of critical thinking lies in its ability to
help individuals make informed decisions, solve
complex problems, and
differentiate between true and false beliefs.

B. Profile of a problem solver and critical thinker
• Self-knowledge
• Knowing what is needed in developing an
innovation/ideas for problem-solving
• Constantly learning
• Asks silly questions sometimes
• Curious
• What others have done, then explore

• learning from mistakes
• Takes risks
• Asks questions
• Suggests ideas
• Sets targets
• Career progression is not his main objective

• Trusts others
• Willing to disagree with others
• Prepared to lead
• Guided by values
• Confident about his ideas
• Takes responsibility

C. Critical thinking and creative problem-solving
behavior and mandates
• Respect the group
• Take your time, don’t push too hard
• Focus the group on its objectives
• Focus on the future
• Link all activities and objectives
• Create a stimulating environment

Exercise – Identify and Evaluate Issues
- Analysis & Role Play
List down issues –- that are faced daily. Also, business
situations are encountered and considered problems that
require solutions and proper handling.
Conduct a role-play.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Role Play guideline tips to Follow
1. Establish a positive and respectful tone during the conversation.
2. Use listening techniques - employ while addressing the
concerns.
3. Collaborate with the customer to find mutually agreeable
solutions.
4. Address challenges you encounter, and manage to overcome
them.
5. What could you do differently in future admin /customer /
meetings.

Creative problem-solving and brainstorming
techniques
A. Creative Methods
1. Evolution: incremental improvement- every new
idea is made from other ideas - Every issue that has
been dealt with can be looked at again in a better
way.
2. Synthesis: Combine two or more ideas into a
third new idea

3. Revolution: Completely different ideas are
sometimes the best
4. Reapplication: Looking at something old in a
new way.
5. Changing direction: Shifting attention from one
angle of an issue to another. The objective is to
dealt with the matter by creating an appropriate
solution and not to implement a particular
solution.

B. Brainstorming techniques‫االفكار‬ ‫عصف‬
• A conference technique- obtain the maximum
number of ideas- enhances creative thinking and
innovation- A sudden inspiration- Abandon-
Thrill- Outbreak - Breakthrough- explosion-
Imagination- Idea creation- Opportunity-
Probortunity- Paradigm- Mind - mapping-
Blamestorming.

C. Rules of Brainstorming
• Rule 1: Postpone and withhold your judgment of
ideas
• Rule 2: Encourage wild and exaggerated ideas
• Rule 3: Quantity counts at this stage, not quality
• Rule 4: Build on the ideas put forward by others
• Rule 5:Every person and every idea has equal
worth

Example of Critical Thinking Tools
Fishbone
‫رسم‬
‫السمكة‬ ‫عظم‬ ‫هيكل‬ ‫مجسم‬

Exercise
Call for a brainstorming meeting with
stakeholders to address and analyze a current
situation, a problem, or an opportunity
following the proper steps using fishbone
analysis and other analytical tools as explained.

Problem-thinking techniques and developing an
organizational problem-solving environment
A. How do problem-solving techniques work?
• Stimulate original ideas.
• New idea = two or more ideas are accidentally or
deliberately merged
• Problem thinking techniques provide the method
for deliberately combining ideas in ways that
would not normally come across or think about.
• Merging lots of new ideas into a solution.

B. The problem-thinking techniques
1. The random word technique
• Generating new ideas by choosing a random
word.
• The random word will force you to go in a certain
direction in creative thinking.
• The skill is to stop your mind from thinking it’s a
silly idea. The initial stimulus is the random word
itself.
• Establish an idea as a bridge between the
stimulus and an idea that you could actually use
on your issue.

2. The random picture technique
• The use of a picture as a stimulus instead of a
word.
• It is easier to use pictures than words
• All depends on the situation and the
requirements of propor-tunities faced.

3. The false rules technique
• Implementing rules that have already been applied
to a different subject but have not yet been
introduced to your own probortunity.
• A rule, a quote, an idea, or a suggestion from
somewhere else.
• It is false because the rule has not been considered
as valid before.

• Forcing yourself to use it will help to direct your
thinking about doing things in a different way than
you would normally behave.
• The stimulus is the false rule for the new ideas.
• Establishing a set of ideas based on this stimulus.
• Use these ideas as a bridge between the stimulus
and a valid idea.

• Apply the rule directly to your current situation.
• Looking at the reason why the rule exists and
similarities that could be resulted.
• Looking at the benefits of using the rule and why
it was created?.

4. The random website technique
• Choose a random website
• Gather the ideas to be used for new ideas
• The ideas extracted from the website will be the
stimulus to a possible solution
• Try to see something on the website which
reminds you of your propor-tunity and how it
might be solved.
• Think of how can use that new situation or object
to your advantage.

5. The SCAMPER technique
• Uses a set of directed questions should be
answered about your propor-tunity in order to
come up with new ideas.
• The stimulus comes from forcing yourself to
answer questions that you would not normally
pose.

• SCAMPER:
– Substitute - Put to other purposes
– Combine - Eliminate
– Adapt - Rearrange/ Reverse
– Modify/distort

6. Empathy Map
• An empathy map is a collaborative tool teams
can use to gain a deeper insight into their
customers. Much like a user persona, an
empathy map can represent a group of users,
such as a customer segment.
• The empathy map was originally created by
Dave Gray and has gained much popularity
within the agile community.

THE CRITICAL THINKING CHECKLIST
1.Does the logic of the argument make sense?
2.Is it clear how you could falsify the argument?
3.What evidence for the argument has been cited?
4.Is that evidence sufficient, accurate, and relevant?
5.Has the argument been framed in a way
to persuade you with emotion rather
than convince you with evidence?
6.What’s missing?

CRITICAL THINKING: QUESTIONS TO ASK
• Clarity: Could you elaborate further on that point? Could
you express that point in another way? Could you give
me an illustration? Could you give me an example?
• Accuracy: Is that really true? How could we check that?
How could we find out if that is true?
• Precision: Could you give me more details? Could you
be more specific? (note that a statement can be both
clear and accurate without being specific –
Relevance: How is that connected with the question?
How does that bear on the issue?

• Depth: How does your answer address the complexities of
the question? How are you taking into account the problems
of the question? Is that dealing with the most significant
factors?
• Breadth: Do we need to consider another point of view? Is
there another way to look at this question? What would this
look like from a conservative standpoint? What would this
look like from the point of view of … (fill in the dots).
• Logic: Does that really make sense? Does that follow from
what you said? How does that follow? Before you implied
this and now you are saying that – how can both be true?
CRITICAL THINKING: QUESTIONS TO ASK

Group Excercise
Critical Thinking Check List

Problem solving mechanism
What is it for?
• Facing a situation
• Choose a solution – optimum / best/ suitable
• To solve a problem
• Overcome uncertainty through knowledge and
training

Decision making for Problem Solving – detailed 10 Steps
1. State the decision to be made and decide who
should make it.
2. Assemble the decision makers and organize for
the decision by designating a group facilitator and
recorder.

3. State the decision to be made and explore the context:
a. Tie the decision to a goal or an objective that the
decision is oriented to achieving.
b. Explore the causes of the situation which give rise to
the need for a decision to be made.
c. Determine the impact of not deciding.
d. Remind the group of the type of decision and why
this type was selected.
e. Specify the criteria for evaluating the decision.
‫ا‬
Decision making for Problem-Solving -10 Steps

4. Identify optional decisions.
5. Describe the effects of each option and select the
best option or combination of aspects of each
option.
6. Select the right option (optimal/suitable).
7. Plan implementation of the decision.
Decision making for Problem Solving -10 Steps

8. Plan communication of decisions to those not
present who need to know.
9. Plan a review of the decision at a future date in
which you will apply the criteria you identified
under 3. e. above.
10. Review the process used to make the decision in
the meeting to improve it.
Decision making for Problem-Solving -10 Steps

Exercise
Apply 10 problem-solving steps for
decision-making on a business matter
that you are considering.

Type of problems and decisions made in
organizations
• Daily problems – detailed
• Global problems – overall
• Reactive decisions – after event
• Proactive decisions – before event

Exercise
Call for a meeting with stakeholders to address
and analyze a current conflict, a controversial
issue following problem-solving steps.

Types of problems decision-makers face in business
‫األعمال‬ ‫مجال‬ ‫في‬ ‫القرار‬ ‫صناع‬ ‫يواجهها‬ ‫التي‬ ‫المشاكل‬ ‫أنواع‬
• Non-Crisis
An issue that requires resolution but does not
simultaneously have the importance and
immediacy characteristics of a crisis.
• Crisis
A serious difficulty requiring immediate action

Exercise
• Apply problem-thinking techniques to solve a
situation or a problem or a current burning
issue related.

Reactive and proactive problem-solving models
‫واالستباقية‬ ‫التفاعلية‬ ‫المشكالت‬ ‫حل‬ ‫نماذج‬
– Define the problem
– Collect information
– Develop options
– Choose the best option
– Plan
– Execute
– Follow up

Exercise
Consider a recent problem by applying reactive and
proactive problem-solving steps.
‫حل‬ ‫خطوات‬ ‫تطبيق‬ ‫خالل‬ ‫من‬ ‫حديثة‬ ‫مشكلة‬ ‫في‬ ‫فكر‬
‫واالستباقية‬ ‫التفاعلية‬ ‫المشكالت‬.

Group Exercise
Role Play
6 Hats of Thinking

How to influence others in Problem Solving
with the DISC model "
‫ديسك‬ ‫التأثير‬ ‫"نموذج‬

Style 1: Dominance – High “D” Style
• Demonstrates a cool, independent, and competitive nature
• When working alone, completes tasks and projects with impressive speed
• Is swift with action and decision-making
• Takes control and gets impatient with slow action or lack thereof
• Wants the freedom to manage self and others
• Demonstrates low tolerance for people’s feelings and attitudes
• Does not readily embrace advice
• Performs extremely well in administrative tasks
‫بمفردك‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫وتنافسيةعند‬ ‫ومستقلة‬ ‫رائعة‬ ‫طبيعة‬ ‫ُظهر‬‫ي‬،
-
‫القرار‬ ‫واتخاذ‬ ‫التصرف‬ ‫في‬ ‫سريع‬ ‫مذهلة‬ ‫بسرعة‬ ‫والمشاريع‬ ‫المهام‬ ‫يكمل‬
‫عدمه‬ ‫أو‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫بطء‬ ‫بسبب‬ ‫صبره‬ ‫وينفد‬ ‫األمور‬ ‫زمام‬ ‫يتولى‬
‫واآلخر‬ ‫نفسه‬ ‫إدارة‬ ‫في‬ ‫الحرية‬ ‫يريد‬
‫ومواقفهم‬ ‫الناس‬ ‫مشاعر‬ ‫مع‬ ‫التسامح‬ ‫انخفاض‬ ‫ُظهر‬‫ي‬‫ين‬
‫اإلدارية‬ ‫المهام‬ ‫في‬ ‫للغاية‬ ‫جيد‬ ‫بشكل‬ ‫بسهولةيؤدي‬ ‫النصيحة‬ ‫يتقبل‬ ‫ال‬

Style 2: Influence – High “I” Style
• Demonstrates spontaneity and decisiveness
• Enjoys participating
• Doesn’t enjoy working alone
• Tends towards exaggeration and generalization
• Is inclined to dream and get others excited about the dream
• Easily hops from activity to activity
• Works with others with speed and excitement
• Looks for admiration and recognition
• Possesses excellent influencing skills
‫والحسم‬ ‫العفوية‬ ‫يظهر‬
‫بالمشاركة‬ ‫يستمتع‬
-
‫والتعميم‬ ‫المبالغة‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫يميل‬ ‫بمفرده‬ ‫بالعمل‬ ‫يستمتع‬ ‫ال‬-
‫للحلم‬ ‫اآلخرين‬ ‫حماس‬ ‫وإثارة‬ ‫الحلم‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫يميل‬
‫وإثارة‬ ‫بسرعة‬ ‫اآلخرين‬ ‫مع‬ ‫آخريعمل‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫نشاط‬ ‫من‬ ‫بسهولة‬ ‫يقفز‬
‫ممتازة‬ ‫تأثير‬ ‫مهارات‬ ‫والتقديريمتلك‬ ‫اإلعجاب‬ ‫عن‬ ‫يبحث‬

Style 3: Steadiness – High “S” Style
• Takes it slow when it comes to actions and decisions
• Enjoys close and deep relationships
• Is averse to workplace conflict
• Demonstrates strong listening skills and support of others
• Has great ability to counsel others
• Is not naturally strong at goal setting and giving direction
• Has a knack for gaining people’s buy-in and support
• Works with others in a slow and cohesive manner
• Looks for safety and belongingness
‫والقرارت‬ ‫باإلجراءات‬ ‫األمر‬ ‫يتعلق‬ ‫عندما‬ ‫ببطء‬ ‫األمر‬ ‫يأخذ‬
‫وعميقة‬ ‫وثيقة‬ ‫بعالقات‬ ‫يتمتع‬
‫العمل‬ ‫مكان‬ ‫في‬ ‫الصراع‬ ‫يكره‬
‫اآلخرين‬ ‫ودعم‬ ‫قوية‬ ‫استماع‬ ‫مهارات‬ ‫ُظهر‬‫ي‬
‫لآلخر‬ ‫المشورة‬ ‫تقديم‬ ‫على‬ ‫كبيرة‬ ‫قدرة‬ ‫لديه‬
‫التوجيهات‬ ‫وإعطاء‬ ‫األهداف‬ ‫تحديد‬ ‫في‬ ‫طبيعي‬ ‫بشكل‬ ‫قويًا‬ ‫ينليس‬
‫ودعمهم‬ ‫الناس‬ ‫تأييد‬ ‫لكسب‬ ‫موهبة‬ ‫لديه‬
‫ومتماسكة‬ ‫بطيئة‬ ‫بطريقة‬ ‫اآلخرين‬ ‫مع‬ ‫يعمل‬
‫واالنتماء‬ ‫األمان‬ ‫عن‬ ‫يبحث‬

Style 4: Conscientious – High “C” Style
• Marked by caution in taking action and making decisions
• Enjoys organization and structure
• Does not enjoy involvement
• Asks lots of questions about task and project details
• Thrives best in a work environment that’s task-oriented, objective, and intellectually
stimulating
• Does not want to be wrong and, thus, may collect too much data and overanalyze
• Works slowly, precisely, and alone
• Demonstrates excellent problem-solving skills
‫القرارات‬ ‫واتخاذ‬ ‫اإلجراءات‬ ‫اتخاذ‬ ‫في‬ ‫بالحذر‬ ‫يتميز‬
‫والهيكل‬ ‫بالتنظيم‬ ‫يتمتع‬
‫ة‬
‫بالمشاركة‬ ‫يتمتع‬
‫والمشروع‬ ‫المهمة‬ ‫تفاصيل‬ ‫حول‬ ‫األسئلة‬ ‫من‬ ‫الكثير‬ ‫يطرح‬
‫ا‬ً‫ي‬‫فكر‬ ‫ومحفزة‬ ‫وموضوعية‬ ‫المهام‬ ‫نحو‬ ‫موجهة‬ ‫عمل‬ ‫بيئة‬ ‫في‬ ‫أفضل‬ ‫بشكل‬ ‫يزدهر‬
‫التحليل‬ ‫في‬ ‫ويبالغ‬ ‫البيانات‬ ‫من‬ ‫الكثير‬ ‫يجمع‬ ‫قد‬ ‫وبالتالي‬ ،‫ا‬‫ًئ‬‫مخط‬ ‫يكون‬ ‫أن‬ ‫يريد‬ ‫ال‬
‫وحده‬ ،‫وبدقة‬ ،‫ببطء‬ ‫يعمل‬
‫المشكالت‬ ‫حل‬ ‫في‬ ‫ممتازة‬ ‫مهارات‬ ‫ظهر‬ُ‫ي‬

Role Play
Exercise
‫ديسك‬ ‫نموذج‬ ‫استخدم‬DISC

Group Project ‫العمل‬ ‫فرق‬ ‫في‬ ‫مشروع‬
• Work on a current problem or a development
opportunity to solve and decide about the situation.
• Use a flip chart to present and draw your idea
solution in a logical road map.
‫الموقف‬ ‫لحل‬ ‫تطويرية‬ ‫فرصة‬ ‫أو‬ ‫حالية‬ ‫مشكلة‬ ‫على‬ ‫العمل‬
‫بشأنه‬ ‫القرار‬ ‫واتخاذ‬.
‫خارطة‬ ‫في‬ ‫ورسمه‬ ‫فكرتك‬ ‫حل‬ ‫لعرض‬ ‫الورقي‬ ‫اللوح‬ ‫استخدم‬
‫منطقية‬ ‫طريق‬.

Take charge
of your creative energy
“To enjoy enduring success
we should travel a little in
advance of the world.”
Lynda Curtin

Thanking you for your participation

References
Reference List
Charles Conn, Robert McLean (2019).” Bullet proof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything “. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Garrette, Bernard, Phelps, Corey, and Sibony, Olivier. (2021).” Cracked it.: How to solve big problems and sell solutions like top strategy consultants”.
Amazon.com.
Heath, Dan (2022). “Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen”. Amazon. Com.
Herman, E. Amy (2020). “Fixed: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving”. Amazon.com
Knapp, Jake, Zeratsky, John et al (2020). “Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days”. Aamzon.com
Watanabe, Ken (2020). “Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People”. Amazon.com
Wedell-Wedellsborg, Thomas (2021). “What’s Your Problem? To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve” Amazon.com.
V. Anton, Spraul (2021). “Think Like a Programmer: An Introduction to Creative Problem Solving”. Aamzon.com

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