Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Spot thinking traps, test evidence, find the real cause of a problem, choose between options with clear tools and present a recommendation your boss can act on.
What you'll learn
- Recognise confirmation bias, anchoring, groupthink, sunk cost thinking and the availability trap in your own work and in meetings
- Ask questions that expose assumptions and get to the facts behind a claim
- Check a source, a statistic or a WhatsApp forward before you rely on it or pass it on
- Spot common fallacies in arguments and respond to them without starting a quarrel
- Write a clear problem statement and break the problem down with an issue tree
- Find root causes using the 5 Whys, a fishbone diagram and Pareto analysis
- Generate options with brainstorming and SCAMPER, then choose using a weighted decision matrix, cost-benefit analysis and a risk check
- Present a recommendation using the Pyramid Principle and SCQA, and run an after-action review
Who this course is for
- Officers, supervisors and managers in companies, NGOs and the public service who make or advise on decisions
- Team leads who want their meetings to reach better answers faster
- Public servants who prepare briefs, memos and recommendations for directors and committees
- Graduates and national service personnel who want to stand out as clear thinkers early in their careers
Course content
8 sections · 42 lessons · 6h 51mStart here: welcome to Critical Thinking & Problem Solving 3 lessons · 15 min
Module 1: How your mind tricks you 6 lessons · 55 min
Module 2: Better questions, better evidence 6 lessons · 1h
Module 3: Reasoning well and spotting weak arguments 6 lessons · 53 min
Module 4: Defining the problem and finding the root cause 6 lessons · 55 min
Module 5: Generating options and making the decision 6 lessons · 1h 1m
Module 6: Presenting your recommendation and learning from the result 6 lessons · 56 min
Final module: putting it all to work 3 lessons · 56 min
Before you start
- No prior training in logic or problem solving is needed
- A notebook, or a document on your phone or computer, for the exercises
- One real problem from your own work that you can apply the tools to as you go
About this course
When a workplace problem gets solved badly, the reason is usually ordinary. Someone jumped to the first answer, or trusted the loudest voice in the room, or fixed a symptom while the real cause carried on underneath. The generator gets replaced and the power still trips. The new form is printed and the queue at the counter is still long.
This course teaches the habits and tools that stop that from happening. It is written for professionals at every level, in private companies, NGOs and the public service, who have to make sense of messy information and decide what to do about it.
You will learn how your own mind tricks you, with the five thinking traps that cost Ghanaian organisations the most money. You will practise asking sharper questions, checking sources (including the WhatsApp forward your aunty sent this morning) and spotting weak arguments in meetings. Then you will work through a full problem-solving method: writing a proper problem statement, breaking it down with an issue tree, digging for the root cause with the 5 Whys, the fishbone diagram and Pareto analysis, generating options with brainstorming and SCAMPER, and choosing between them with a decision matrix, cost-benefit analysis and a simple risk check.
Finally, you will learn to present your recommendation so a busy director reads the first paragraph and says yes, and to run an after-action review so your team learns from every decision, good or bad.
Expect puzzles, memos to pick apart, and scenarios where your choices change the ending. You finish with a personal action plan and a certificate.
Your instructor
SkillsPillar Faculty
Practitioners and trainers in strategy, public service, enterprise and workplace compliance
SkillsPillar courses are written by practitioners who have trained graduates, managers, public servants and business owners across Ghana. Every course is built around real situations, practical tools and activities that test judgement, not memory.
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Frequently asked
How do I pay for a course?
Pay securely with MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money, Visa or Mastercard through Hubtel. You get access straight after payment.
How long do I have access?
For life. Once you enrol, the course stays in your account and you can learn at your own pace, including any updates we make.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Finish every lesson in a course and a certificate is issued automatically. Each one has a QR code and a public link employers can use to check it.
Can I learn on my phone?
Yes. Everything works on a phone, tablet or computer, and your progress follows you between devices.
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