Practical Steps to Apply Critical Thinking in the Workplace: No, This is Not Just Another Boring College Class

Why Should You Attend:

New research has discovered that college graduates do not possess the necessary critical thinking skills employers are searching for. Pick up almost any trade journal, magazine or newspaper and they are filled with articles about new graduates (and even seasoned employees) missing the mark in exhibiting critical thinking in their jobs. A 2014 study found that job postings listing critical thinking skills as a requirement for a position had doubled since 2009. The study found that 21,000 healthcare and 6700 management job postings referenced critical thinking as a requirement for the position.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• Define critical thinking
• List characteristics of critical thinkers
• Examine the critical thinking process
• Explore the elements of reasoning
• Discuss critical thinking techniques
• Identify organizational, team, and individual critical thinking barriers

Who Will Benefit:

• Senior managers
• Middle managers
• Project leaders
• Directors
• Supervisors
• Professionals in all industries

Dr. Susan Strauss
Workplace and Education Harassment and Bullying Consultant, Strauss Consulting

Dr. Susan Strauss is a national and international speaker, trainer and consultant. Her specialty areas include management/leadership development, organization development, communication, and harassment and bullying. She trains and consults with business, education, healthcare, law, and government organizations from both the public and private sector. Susan has held positions in training, organization development, and management, which enable her to use her multitude of real life experiences to draw on in her training sessions and organization development consulting. She has presented to thousands of people during her career and to a variety of audiences and receives outstanding evaluations.

Dr. Strauss has authored over 30 book chapters, books, and articles in professional journals. She has been featured on 20/20, CBS Evening News, and other television and radio programs as well as interviewed for newspaper and journal articles such as the Times of London, Lawyers Weekly, and Harvard Education Newsletter.

Susan has presented at international conferences in Botswana, Egypt, Thailand, Israel, and the U.S. She has consulted with professionals from other countries such as England, Australia, Canada and St. Martin. She has her doctorate in organizational leadership, is a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and counseling, a master’s degree in community health, and professional certificate in training and development.

Topic Background:

It is our nature to think—we all do it. However, a good share of our thinking is biased, distorted, or incomplete. Critical thinking is an essential skill for both managers and employees. Few of us are effective critical thinkers though research suggests that leaders believe they think quite well. Critical thinking ensures we pose the right questions, view others’ viewpoints with merit, and challenge assumptions in strategic thinking, decision making and problem solving. Non-critical thinkers shoot down ideas before they are understood, or take action based on faulty assumptions resulting in a business disaster. Teams, as well as individuals, must learn to think critically which requires a work atmosphere that is conducive to challenging others’ perspectives. Critical thinking enables teams to develop positive insights and ideas that lead to effective action. It focuses on reframing and rethinking issues so that the right problems are addressed, and requires challenging conventional wisdom. Using the process of critical thinking leads to reasoned conclusions, better decisions, fewer mistakes, and improves collaboration among team members.

There is not a consistent definition of critical thinking. The American Academy of Advanced Thinking defines “Critical thinking as the systematic approach to dissecting and analyzing problems, and developing solutions through benchmarking best practices.” Critical thinking involves the ability to not simply accept all arguments and perspectives.

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