Home / Non-Accredited / Project Management, Agile & Process Improvement / Creative Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Course (2 days)
Quick Look Course Summary:Creative Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Course (2 days)
-
Length: 2 day(s)
-
Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 10,326 EX VAT 3 Person R 7,594 EX VAT 10 Person R 5,537 EX VAT
-
Certification Type:Non-Accredited
-
Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
Creative Problem Solving – self-paced online, 6 months’ access: R750 per learner (ex VAT); teams of 10 or more pay less.
Critical Thinking – self-paced online, 6 months’ access: R750 per learner (ex VAT); teams of 10 or more pay less.
Get Free & personalised
Training Advice
Creative Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Course (2 days)
Teams that investigate a problem properly, question the evidence and choose solutions that actually work – instead of jumping to the first answer.
Most workplace problems are not solved badly because people lack ideas. They are solved badly because the problem was never properly defined, the first explanation was accepted without question, or the decision rested on opinion rather than evidence. This two-day problem solving training pairs a structured creative problem-solving process with the critical thinking needed to test assumptions and evidence at every step.
Day one works through the full creative problem-solving process: gathering information, defining the problem and where it started, removing mental blocks, generating options with brainstorming, mind mapping, Duncker diagrams, the morphological matrix and the six thinking hats, then analysing, selecting and implementing a solution. Day two builds critical thinking as a working habit: observation, analysis and inference, separating fact from opinion, spotting bias and groupthink, SWOT analysis, reverse thinking and weighing the consequences before committing.
Delegates practise on real problems from their own work and leave with a repeatable method, a set of techniques and an action plan. For HR and L&D teams, the course gives the organisation one problem-solving language across departments.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Problems solved at the root, so they stop coming back
- Decisions based on verified information, not assumptions or office politics
- Fewer issues escalated that teams could have resolved themselves
- Better-quality recommendations to management
- One shared problem-solving method across departments
For your delegates
- A step-by-step process for any workplace problem
- A toolbox of idea-generation and decision techniques
- Sharper judgement for questioning assumptions and evidence
- Practice on a real problem from your own work
What delegates will be able to do
- Gather the right information and separate verified facts from opinion
- Define a problem clearly, including its present state, desired state and origin
- Remove mental blocks and generate a wide range of options with several creative techniques
- Evaluate options against criteria such as feasibility, cost, time and resources
- Select a solution and plan its implementation, follow-up and review
- Apply observation, analysis and inference to a business situation
- Recognise bias, assumptions and groupthink in your own and others' reasoning
- Look at a problem from several perspectives before deciding
- Involve stakeholders so that solutions have their commitment
Who should attend
Managers, supervisors, team leaders, project managers, business owners, analysts and staff in any role who solve problems or make recommendations. It suits HR and L&D teams rolling out one problem-solving method across departments, and operations teams that want to resolve issues without constant escalation.
Course outline
Day 1 – The creative problem-solving process
What a problem is and how to approach it
- Problems, symptoms and decisions
- The six steps of creative problem solving
- Why teams jump to solutions, and what that costs
Gathering information and defining the problem
- Kinds of information: facts, opinions and assumptions
- The key questions: who, what, where, when, why and how
- Interviews, observation, data and focus groups
- Present state versus desired state
- Stating, restating and writing the problem statement
- Finding where the problem started
Preparing to be creative
- Recognising mental blocks: assumptions, emotions, culture and habit
- Clearing the blocks and setting up a productive session
- Techniques to stimulate creativity
Generating solutions
- Brainstorming and brainwriting
- Mind mapping
- Duncker diagrams
- The morphological matrix
- The six thinking hats and the blink method
Choosing and implementing a solution
- Setting criteria and weighing wants against needs
- Cost/benefit and paired comparison analysis
- Potential problem analysis
- Planning tasks, resources and stakeholder buy-in
- Implementing, evaluating, adapting and recording lessons learned
Day 2 – Critical thinking for better decisions
Understanding critical thinking
- What critical thinking is and when to use it
- Logic and reasoning at work
- The traits of a critical thinker: curiosity, discipline, humility and self-awareness
The critical thinking process
- Observing carefully before judging
- Analysis and inference
- Communicating conclusions
- Linking critical thinking to problem solving and decision making
Evaluating information
- Questioning assumptions and asking clarifying questions
- Recognising bias, including your own
- Separating evidence from hearsay
- SWOT analysis
Barriers and perspectives
- Time pressure, missing knowledge and closed minds
- Autopilot thinking and groupthink
- Changing your point of view and thinking in reverse
- Considering consequences and spotting inconsistencies
Building the habit
- Active listening and better questions
- Thinking about your thinking: reflection and learning from mistakes
- Thinking enough, without overthinking
- Case exercise: a decision from your workplace
- Personal action plan and evaluation
How it is delivered
Two days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; exercises can use real problems from your organisation. Workbook, technique guides and templates included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
“The training was practical, engaging and relevant to our workplace environment, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical skills that could be applied in their respective roles.”
“All training programmes were delivered in a highly professional manner, with effective coordination and strict adherence to our scheduling requirements. The facilitators demonstrated a commendable level of expertise, and the quality of delivery consistently met our expectations.”
“The facilitator was excellent and took time to ensure that the employee understood the content and was able to apply the learning in order to develop the portfolio of evidence.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa. We can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. For a credit-bearing route, ask us about the QCTO skills programme in effective problem solving and decision making.
Are there shorter or longer versions?
Yes. The one-day course covers the creative problem-solving process only. The three-day course adds a third day on creativity and innovation in the team.
Can we bring real problems to the course?
Yes, and we encourage it. Send us two or three current issues beforehand and the facilitator builds them into the exercises on both days.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
Related courses
Get your price – the more delegates, the less each pays
Change the options to see your price per person, then email yourself the quote and course outline.
Contact us now – we reply within 15 minutes during office hours
Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00. After hours, we reply on the next working day – or call 011 882 8853.