CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM

I. Overview

Today, Critical Thinking is ranked among the top essential skills identified by the World Economic Forum (2021) for developing leadership thinking. It enables managers to make better strategic decisions in today’s VUCA environment — characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

A well-informed strategic decision helps organizations stay aligned with their long-term direction, execute flexibly, and achieve planned objectives while avoiding costly mistakes that waste significant time and resources.

This course is designed by PVD Training to equip participants with structured approaches to analyzing issues from multiple perspectives using accurate, practical, and in-depth thinking. In addition, the course helps participants develop a more positive and effective mindset to improve work performance.

II. Course Objectives

Participants will update their knowledge and strengthen their critical thinking capabilities through the following objectives:

• Clearly understand critical thinking and activate daily thinking skills in the workplace

• Improve awareness of complex and high-risk decision-making situations

• Develop creative and effective problem-solving abilities

• Accurately search for and evaluate information

• Build strategies to continuously improve critical thinking capacity

III. Course Benefits

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Solve problems systematically → Improve organizational and structured thinking

• Identify root causes of issues → Resolve problems and conflicts effectively

• Evaluate trending information critically → Filter unreliable information

• Analyze arguments and beliefs logically → Understand the essence of issues

• Critically assess and refine their own analyses and conclusions

IV. Target Participants

• Board of Directors and Functional Directors

• Middle-level managers

• Individuals who wish to improve their thinking capability

V. Training Duration

2 Days

VI. Training Methodology

To ensure high practical application and avoid excessive theory, PVD Training will conduct a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) to tailor the program to specific organizational requirements.

VII. Course Content

1. Overview of Critical Thinking

• Why critical thinking is essential

• Independent and reflective thinking as foundations

• Characteristics of critical thinking

• Seven common thinking disorders and barriers

• The boundary between conservatism, persistence, and indecisiveness

• The difference between critical thinking and fallacy

2. Six Levels of Critical Thinking Competency

1. Knowledge & Systemization – Structuring and organizing information

2. Comprehension – Structured thinking, speaking, and expression

3. Application – Basic argumentation and recognizing fallacies

4. Analysis – Persuasive and effective argumentation

   • 10 standards and 8 elements of effective critical thinking

5. Synthesis – Integrating knowledge into cohesive new understanding

6. Wisdom, Confidence & Balance – Value-driven argumentation and authenticity

3. Eight Intellectual Traits

• Intellectual humility

• Intellectual courage

• Intellectual empathy

• Intellectual integrity

• Intellectual perseverance

• Intellectual confidence in reason

• Intellectual autonomy

• Fair-mindedness

4. Five Barriers to Critical Thinking

• Habit

• Conservatism

• Arrogance

• Laziness

• Herd mentality

5. Five Skills to Develop Critical Thinking

• Observation skill – Reflection exercises

• Analytical skill – Learning games

• Reasoning skill – Case study exercises

• Communication skill – Practical simulations

• Problem-solving skill – Scenario discussions

6. Essential Supporting Tools

• MBTI personality assessment

• 8 types of brain thinking styles

• Mind Mapping techniques

• Six Thinking Hats method

• Creative thinking

• Positive thinking

• Practical wisdom

7. Practical Application

The course includes practical exercises, simulations, learning games, and real-world case discussions to ensure participants can apply the knowledge immediately in their workplace.