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Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving

Introduction

Thinking critically and creatively will help you not only with academic work, but also
in everyday work and activities. For example, an academic assignment might ask
you to research and analyze the effects of multitasking, referencing emerging brain
science, and offer creative solutions to accomplishing work without multitasking.
A life problem may deal with getting positive results from a company with bad
customer service, a company that you perceive is avoiding an issue with you as a
customer. Addressing these situations involves some conscious application of
thinking skills. The readings and activities on this page (Critical Thinking) and the
next (Critical, Lateral, and Creative Thinking) are designed to help you become a
more conscious problem-solver and more informed decision-maker.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrected. In

other words, it is a thought process that involves the evaluation, assessment,
and reinterpretation of your own or others’ ideas and thought processes. Critical
thinking requires effort and dedication, but pays dividends for the time invested.

Critical thinking comes into play in a wide variety of circumstances. As a citizen of a

democracy, it is important to think critically and do background research each time
an election is coming up or when there is a news story about which you want to be
more informed. As a student, you want to think critically about near term options,
such as what courses to take, and longer in term decisions, such as how to plan your
degree and whether the degree you’re planning should be directed toward current
employment, future employment, or your own academic interest that may or may not
be related to a current or potential career.

Critical thinking involves analysis, or breaking something (a concept, an argument, a

piece of information) down into its parts in order to understand and evaluate it, as a
prelude to accepting or rejecting it. You’re expected to think critically when you’re
asked to analyze an article for a college assignment, for example, and offer your
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own opinion on its validity. You also think critically when you analyze real-life
situations such as moving your residence, changing jobs, or buying a car.

View the following videos on critical thinking, which further define the concept and
offer some steps to apply in order to think critically and solve problems.

What are the key concepts of this video?

What examples do you have of the following?

● creating your own solution to an unexpected problem

● using pros and cons to make a decision
● making assumptions about a person
● unthinkingly applying a bias

The first two concepts often have positive outcomes, while the last two concepts
may result in negative outcomes. Most likely you will have done all four of these
things subconsciously in the workplace or other situations.

This video offers one (of many) ways to consider something critically:

● formulate your question

● gather your information
● apply the information (consider biases, assumptions)
● consider the implications
● explore other points of view

Both videos emphasize the need to consider a question, problem, action, or issue
consciously and planfully, breaking it into its parts and considering the parts, before
putting them back together with a reasoned solution or multiple potential, reasoned
solutions.
Below are 10 tips for problem-solving and critical thinking.

1. Understand the Steps in Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

● State the problem or question.
● Gather information.
● Review the information.
● Examine the information gathered.
● Make a decision.
● Share the results with others.
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2. Ask Basic Questions

● What is it about?
● What happened?
● When did it happen?
● Where did it happen?
● Why did it happen?
● How did it happen?

3. Practice Self-Awareness
● Understand your biases.
● Question your first instinct.
● Do not jump to conclusions.
● Recognize what you do well and what you need to improve.

4. Think on Your Feet

● Be able to find solutions quickly.
● Think through problems that come up.
● Make decisions.
● Take a step back and evaluate decisions before moving forward.

5. Be Creative
● Try new ideas.
● Find new solutions.
● Look for new ways of doing things.
● Use new methods to solve problems.

6. Make Decisions in Stressful Situations

● Remain alert and calm.
● Reframe the problem.
● Prioritize.
● Move toward the goal.

7. Pay Attention to Detail

● Look at every part of the problem.
● Think through fine points.
● Think of all possible solutions.
● Maintain efficiency.

8. Expand Your Technical Skills

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● Take classes to build knowledge.

● Find opportunities to gain experience.
● Talk with professionals.
● Discover volunteer opportunities.

9. Build Critical Thinking Skills

● Play games that require critical thinking skills.
● Put puzzles together.
● Think ahead.
● Actively volunteer to solve problems.

10. Improve Your Knowledge

● Take time to think.
● Read books on improving critical thinking.
● Learn something new every day.
● Focus.
Employers are seeking individuals who possess these skills. Work toward improving your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Solving issues that arise at work is
important in becoming more productive. Employees should be able to work on the job without someone telling them exactly what to do, how to do it, and why they
should do it. Problem-solving and critical thinking are essential skills for employees to be successful in the workplace.

Problem-Solving with Critical Thinking

For most people, a typical day is filled with critical thinking and problem-solving challenges. In fact, critical thinking and problem-solving go hand-in-hand. They both
refer to using knowledge, facts, and data to solve problems effectively. But with problem-solving, you are specifically identifying, selecting, and defending your solution.
Below are some examples of using critical thinking to problem-solve:

● Your roommate was upset and said some unkind words to you, which put a crimp in your relationship. You try to see through the angry behaviors to
determine how you might best support your roommate and help bring your relationship back to a comfortable spot.

● Your campus club has been languishing on account of lack of participation and funds. The new club president, though, is a marketing major and has
identified some strategies to interest students in joining and supporting the club. Implementation is forthcoming.

● Your final art class project challenges you to conceptualize form in new ways. On the last day of class when students present their projects, you describe
the techniques you used to fulfill the assignment. You explain why and how you selected that approach.

● Your math teacher sees that the class is not quite grasping a concept. She uses clever questioning to dispel anxiety and guide you to new understanding
of the concept.

● You have a job interview for a position that you feel you are only partially qualified for, although you really want the job and you are excited about the
prospects. You analyze how you will explain your skills and experiences in a way to show that you are a good match for the prospective employer.

● You are doing well in college, and most of your college and living expenses are covered. But there are some gaps between what you want and what you
feel you can afford. You analyze your income, savings, and budget to better calculate what you will need to stay in college and maintain your desired level
of spending.

Problem-Solving Action Checklist

Problem-solving can be an efficient and rewarding process, especially if you are organized and mindful of critical steps and strategies. Remember, too, to assume the
attributes of a good critical thinker. If you are curious, reflective, knowledge-seeking, open to change, probing, organized, and ethical, your challenge or problem will be
less of a hurdle, and you’ll be in a good position to find intelligent solutions.

[1]
STRATEGIES ACTION CHECKLIST
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Identify the problem

Provide as many supporting details as possible
1 Define the problem
Provide examples
Organize the information logically

Use logic to identify your most important goals

Identify implications and consequences
2 Identify available solutions Identify facts
Compare and contrast possible solutions

Use gathered facts and relevant evidence

Support and defend solutions considered valid
Defend your solution

3 Select your solution

3 Modes Of Thinking: Lateral, Divergent & Convergent

Thought

1. Convergent Thinking
Summary: Using logic

Also called: Critical Thinking, Vertical Thinking, Analytical Thinking, Linear Thinking

Wikipedia Excerpt & Overview

‘Convergent thinking is a term coined by Joy Paul Guilford’ (who also coined the term for the ‘opposite’ way of thinking, ‘Divergent Thinking’).

‘It generally means the ability to give the “correct” answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity, for instance in most tasks in school and on
standardized multiple1-choice tests for intelligence.

Convergent thinking is often used in conjunction with

[1] divergent thinking . Convergent thinking is
the type of thinking that focuses on coming up with the single, well-established answer to a problem. Convergent thinking is used as a tool [2]in creative problem-
solving. When an individual is using critical thinking to solve a problem they consciously use standards or probabilities to make judgments. This contrasts
with divergent thinking where judgment is deferred while looking for and accepting many possible solutions.’

2. Divergent Thinking
Summary: Using imagination

Also called: Creative Thinking or Horizontal Thinking

Wikipedia Excerpt & Overview

‘Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It is often used in conjunction with
its cognitive colleague, convergent thinking, which follows a particular set of logical steps to arrive at one solution, which in some cases is a ‘correct’ solution. By
contrast, divergent thinking typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing, ‘
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By contrast, divergent thinking typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing, ‘non-linear’ manner, such that many ideas are generated in an emergent cognitive fashion.
Many possible solutions are explored in a short amount of time, and unexpected connections are drawn. After the process of divergent thinking has been completed,
ideas and information are organized and structured using convergent thinking.’

3. Lateral Thinking
Summary: Using both Convergent and Divergent Thinking

Also called: ‘Thinking Outside the Box’

Wikipedia Excerpt & Overview

‘Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect[1]
and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be
obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic.

To understand lateral thinking, it is necessary to compare lateral thinking and critical thinking. Critical thinking is primarily concerned with judging the truth value of
statements and seeking errors. Lateral thinking is more concerned with the “movement value” of statements and ideas. A person uses lateral thinking to move from one
known idea to creating new ideas.’

A core tenet of humanity is our ability to think critically and with imagination and creativity. Therefore, it makes sense that our ability–and the decision to–do this
consistently in some ways defines us as a species. Critical thinking, in part, involves simply avoiding cognitive biases.

See also What It Means To Think Critically

Further, it’s not a huge leap to say that the ability and tendency to think critically and carefully and creatively supersedes content knowledge in importance, but that’s a
discussion for another day. In general, it is our position that critical thinking is of huge importance for students, and as such is a big part of our content and mission at
TeachThought.
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In pursuit, the sketch note above from Sylvia Duckworth is a nice addition to that index of content. Sylvia has consistently done a great job converting ideas into simple
visuals–on our 12 Rules Of Great Teaching , for example.

How to Use Fishbone Diagram for Problem Solving

Fishbone Diagram Problem Solving
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Fishbone diagram is a problem-solving tool, used in literal terms like a fishbone. It is also known as a cause and effect diagram. The mechanism is to specifically identify
the cause and effect of any business or project problem.

A fishbone diagram can help define potential reasons for an issue. This article will dive into understanding the core principles of the fishbone diagram problem solving as
a tool.

1. What is A Fishbone Diagram?

In 1943 at Tokyo University, Kaoru Ishikawa created the "Fishbone Diagram." Fishbone diagrams can also be called diagrams of "cause and effect." The fishbone diagram
+problem solving tool is a perfect tool to dig through an issue when we try to assess the root cause and find a solution effectively.

It offers a mechanism for explicitly identifying the "effect" and then brings you to think about the potential triggers, based on typical manufacturing problems.
The fishbone diagram problem solving is a basic model that makes it easy to grasp swift and efficient root causes to implement corrective behavior.

It reflects the question or impact at the fish's head or mouth. Possible contributing factors under separate causal groups are identified on the smaller "bones." A fishbone
diagram can help define potential reasons for an issue that would otherwise not be discussed by encouraging the team to look through the definitions and discuss
alternate reasons.
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Source: EdrawMind

TRY TO MAKE A TIME MANAGEMENT MIND MAP NO

1.1 Why Use Fishbone Diagram for Problem Solving
The fishbone diagram makes you consider more when solving specific problems. During a brainstorming activity, various groups inspire thoughts from different areas.

The fishbone diagram brings order to the process of cause and effect. It's easy for participants to understand the main problems or issues and focus on the question
across different potential triggers.

The fishbone diagram helps distinguish the causes and reasons for a problem and lets people intuitively figure out the solutions.

1.2 The Usage of Fishbone Diagram

The fishbone diagram problem solving method can be used when trying to fix problems or discover the root cause of an issue or problem, which helps you to see below
the surface, and dive deeper into the real problem.

Here are several typical fishbone diagram problem solving applications:

● Manufacturing:,nbsp;Uncover the root cause of a manufacturing problem by

brainstorming and rating the likelihood and effect of all factors affecting the
manufacturing cycle;
● Marketing or Product Marketing:,nbsp;Identify the possible factors that may
impede your company's popularity in the marketplace by investigating all the
places that affect your product acceptance;
● Service:,nbsp;Uncover the root cause of a business issue by brainstorming,
and rate the probability and effect of all factors impacting the service delivery
process.

2. How to Use A Fishbone Diagram for Problem Solving?

There are 7 steps lead you to use fishbone diagram for problem solving:
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Source: EdrawMind

● Explain the agenda behind the diagram

Let your team members know that the diagram can help you see different fields or possible areas that might lead to a solution to your current business problem.

● Draw diagrams
Draw the pattern or shape on your whiteboard, or use a software diagramming tool to ease accessibility. If you need remote attendants to do this exercise, you can
quickly build it in EdrawMind and display your computer.

● Determine a simple statement on an issue

Write down statements at the top of your page or above where you will build the diagram., which means everyone has the same idea of the issue you are concerned with.

● Select what categories to use

Categories are discussed in more detail below. For example, you can add Policies, Methods, Personnel, and Software categories.

● Identify potential causes within each category of your problem

Team members may trigger brainstorming or contribute factors that fall into this category. You can either go by category or only come up with ideas and determine
which type they fit.

● Go a step deeper to define sub-causes for any cause in the category

If you decide whether something can or will break down to smaller points, build divisions from the critical point.

Team members study the diagram to determine the most relevant focus points. If you are trying to take this a step forward and fix the root cause, it helps define where
you're trying to benefit your initiative. You can't solve all the root factors at once, and some can get more significant payoff than others. Check the diagram for an
evaluation of where the concentration of the team is best.

● Record results
You bring the work in. Capture, and log your work. You will need to return to it later, so you don't want to miss the importance of the exercise that you got.

3. Tips for Using The Fishbone Diagram

There are several tips that should be considered when using the fishbone diagram for solving problems:

● Using the fishbone diagram tool to keep the team focused not on signs, but
the problem's causes;
● Make sure you leave ample room in the diagram between the main groups to
add minor specific pointers later;
● Try making team members write every cause on sticky notes while you're
brainstorming causes, moving around the community asking each person
about a particular reason. Continue to go through the loops, have more
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pointers before all suggestions have been eliminated;

● Encourage each person to join in the brainstorming exercise and voice their
own opinions;
● Remember that the strategy of "five-whys" is often used in combination with
the fishbone diagram.

Source: EdrawMind

4. Conclusion
While it takes time to create a fishbone diagram, it will help you and your team define the real causes and encourage you to strengthen the process and make permanent
improvements.

Regardless, whether you are using the graphical or indented fishbone hierarchy, this process optimization method will significantly help you understand the factors
involved in a process. The root causes of the event are the underlying process and system issues, which allowed the contribution. Hence fishbone diagram, the problem-
solving tool, is extremely crucial when discussing strategies to deal with problems.

EdrawMind is an easy-to-use, flexible mind mapping tool designed to help you generate modern, fresh visuals and mind maps. By combining the bullet points into a
mind map on a project, EdrawMind lets you organize the thoughts or concepts and create essential strategies.

What Are The Six Thinking Hats? And How to Use Them?

Design thinking and group discussion are highly complex processes in which thoughts are shared, ideas bubble up, and others are buried. De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats

technique provides a systematic solution to sharing and improving ideas by eliminating idea-destructive elements during brainstorming meetings.

Our human thinking can be unstructured and reinforced, so different types of thoughts can drive individuals and design thinking groups to think irrational and biased
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toward specific ideas, which contradicts the aim of the design thinking process. The six hats thinking hats introduced a technique to discuss topics based on a particular

order rather than a chaotic discussion. While the six thinking hats method does not follow ordinary human thinking, it can be used during a specific critical thinking

session to achieve specific targets such as solving problems, discussing argument, in-depth analysis for planning process and running the creative thinking process.

What Are the Six Thinking Hats?

In his book, Lateral Thinking for Management, De Bono introduced a directional sequence used in the brainstorming process. The Six Hats thinking method is based on a

metaphorical six hats representing different human thinking types. The team uses these hats to address situations based on sequenced thoughts rather than chaotic

discussions. The Six Hats thinking can be used during critical thinking sessions to achieve specific targets such as solving problems, discussing an argument, planning in-

depth, and analysing the creative thinking process. Although the method has been introduced for companies to improve the return of investment (ROI), it can

successfully be applied to school students in design thinking in education. During the last four years, I’ve adopted the Six Thinking Hats while teaching the design

process for my master level students to organise their thoughts while designing their brand business. I will use this example later when we cover the practical

application of the tool.

Figure 1. The Six Thinking Hats and their description.

The Six Thinking Hats

Solving problems using the six thinking hats model requires looking at different thinking perspectives. Each perspective is represented with a hat colour. At the end of

the discussion session, stakeholders should better understand the problem from other approaches to reach creative and innovative solutions. During each critical

thinking discussion meeting, the facilitator determines which hat should be worn in a specific part of the discussion as follows:

White hat

This hat represents the facts and information about the problem of the argument. During this part, the stockholders only share information about the issue and take

notes. No further development in the thinking process should be done. Questions in this part can be “what is the available information?” and “what are the facts we

have?”

Yellow hat

In contrast to the black hat, the yellow hat supposes to reflect the sun or an optimistic attitude. The stakeholders think from an optimistic point of view about the

problem or suggestion. It helps to spotlight the advantages and benefits of the recommendations. During this, the questions are “what are the advantages of applying

the solution?” and “why do you think it is workable?”

Black hat
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Wearing the black hat drives attendees to think about the problem or suggestion cautiously and defensively. This part aims to identify the cons of the proposal and the

disadvantages, and why the idea may not work based on logical reasons.

Focusing on the warnings, risks or cautions helps the stakeholders to isolate the reasoning and think of the solutions in the yellow one. During this discussion, the

question that can be asked is “what are the risks?” and “why is the suggestion not working?”

Red hat

The emotions hat presents the stakeholders’ feelings about the problem and their gut reactions. Using this hat is to understand the different emotional responses such

as love, hate, like and dislike. The red hat does not aim to understand the reason behind these feelings. We can ask questions like “what do you feel about the

suggestion?” and “what is your gut reaction?”

Green hat

This hat represents the creative thinking part of the discussion. During the critical thinking discussion, this hat fuels the stakeholders’ thinking to innovate a creative

thinking solution for the problems or look to the suggestions from a creative perspective. Innovative tools can drive creativity during the conversations, such as

the Lego Serious Play and brainstorming techniques.

Blue hat

This hat is the process control plan where the meeting leaders manage difficulties during the discussions. It makes sure that the guidelines of the six thinking hat

technique is applied. This hat can be used to drive the thinking process to better routes. For example, the facilitators can direct the discussion to the green hat route if

there are no ideas.

I believe the hat’s sequence and which set of hats to use during the commenting or evaluation session is not fixed, yet it is determined by the type of the project, the

team, and the session’s aim. Figure 2 below shows how the order of hats changes from one aim to another.

Figure 2. The six thinking hat session’s aim dictates the sequence order and the
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type of hat to use.

How to Apply the Six Thinking Hats

Technique?
The six thinking hats technique has many applications for exploring ideas or evaluating them. While teaching Luxury Brand Management to my postgraduate students at

Northumbria University in London, they worked to design their luxury business using many design and business tools. We applied the six thinking hats to build organised

feedback from different perspectives.

F
igure 3. How we comment in each of the six hats.
The following brief example presents the application of the six thinking hats in providing feedback on a proposed luxury brand:

The student group presents their luxury business, including the different tools used to develop their brand, such as the business model canvas, SWOT, persona and

creative brief.

The blue hat is owned by the facilitator who runs the session in these classes, usually the class tutor: the facilitator organizes the presentation and moves
from one hat to another. The team starts with the white hat answering the question, what do we know about the brand and the market. For example, The current

information about the luxury business in Europe and its impact on the company.
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Then, the team puts the yellow hat representing the positive views about the brand. The facilitator can ask questions such as “what are the advantages of the current

business setup?” and “what are the positive impact on the brand?” In this practice, establishing a European-based luxury brand can facilitate access to high-quality

craftsmanship in Italy.

Then the team wears the black hat to discuss the fears or cautions, such as the risks and the challenging points. For instance, the economy after Covid-19 didn’t recover

yet, especially with the other political challenges of Brexit and the war in Ukraine. The red hat reflects the emotional feelings toward the luxury business. For example, The

company’s business is interesting, and it will find interest in the market.

The final hat is the green one, representing new ideas and innovation. The team explores what new ideas can be added to the business. For example, the company can

focus on a sustainable business that can add value for consumers. At the end of the discussion, the facilitator (blue hat) summarises the conversation and the outcome

of the meeting.

The six thinking hats method provides a parallel thinking model to get the most out of critical thinking discussions. By organising the thinking process using the

metaphor of the six hats, stakeholders can ensure that the thinking process covers the topic from different perspectives and points of view. This organised thinking

approach occurs quickly during the discussion to reach the best possible output of the design thinking process. While the six thinking hats technique is discussed

separately from the design thinking process, both work closely toward building creative solutions and innovative approaches.

Nineteen Techniques to Gather

Information: #1 Open Ended
Questions
May 16, 2014
Ava S. Butler
Save
Share27
Organizations need to gather and analyze information in order to make intelligent decisions. This can be an arduous and daunting task. Because the quality of decisions
inevitably suffers when based on incomplete and therefore inferior data, comprehensive information is absolutely essential. Today, this information comes from both
inside and outside the organization and often from nontraditional sources.

My next blogs give the meeting facilitator nineteen options for accumulating maximum information in record time. Some of these techniques can be used to gather
information before meetings; others are designed for use within meetings; and one technique, the Delphi Technique, is designed specifically for use in place of a meeting.
The broad range of these techniques ensures that they cover almost every potential situation.

The nineteen techniques include:

1. Open-Ended Questions
2. Individual Interviews
3. Focus Groups
4. Questionnaires
5. The Delphi Technique
6. Expectations Survey
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7. Passing Notes
8. Skits
9. Is/Is Not
10. Nominal Group Process
11. Process Flowcharting
12. Content Experts
13. Prouds and Sorries
14. Keep/Throw
15. Working Break
16. New Shoes
17. Five Whys
18. SWOTs
19. Road Shows
This blog highlights Technique 1: Open Ended Questions.

“Sometimes when I ask a question, people just sit there and shrug their shoulders or blandly say yes or no. What can I do to stimulate more conversation?”

1. Open-Ended Questions

What Are Open-Ended Questions?

The Open-Ended Questions technique gathers information in a manner that invites the greatest response.

The way you form your questions determines the type of response you will receive. Open-Ended Questions are questions that cannot be answered yes or no. “What are
your ideas?” is an open-ended question. “Do you have any ideas?” is a closed-ended question because it can be answered with a simple yes or no response. Other
examples of Open-Ended Questions include: “What ideas do you have?” as opposed to “Do you have any ideas?” and “What are your reactions to this plan?” as opposed
to “Do you like this plan?”

The use of Open-Ended Questions presumes that participants have ideas or questions and that you are interested in hearing them. It is essential to use Open-Ended
Questions in order to ensure maximum participation. It is a core facilitation technique.

When to Use Open-Ended Questions

● When you want to gather information

● When you are interested in hearing the opinions of others
● When your group tends to be silent
How to Use Open-Ended Questions

Before the Meeting

1. As you plan for each agenda item, determine specific Open-Ended Questions that will elicit the type of information you need. Decide how broad or narrow the focus of
your question should be. For example: “What is causing this increased error rate?” or “What is causing this increased error rate on the third-shift production line?” or
“What is causing this increased error rate on the third-shift production line over the weekends?”

NOTE: Sometimes proposed solutions are disguised as Open-Ended Questions. For example: “How can we get the funding to hire another administrative assistant?” is
really a proposed solution. “How can we resolve our paperwork backlog?” would be a better question to solve the underlying problem.

2. Plan how you will state the purpose for the Open-Ended Question. It is necessary to use a lead-in to the Open-Ended Question, stating the purpose for the discussion.
When participants hear a question without knowing its purpose, they are often reluctant to respond. For example: “We need to determine the best way to fix this
problem. What have you heard about what’s happening out on the shop floor?”

NOTE: Most people ask closed-ended questions out of habit. To change your habits, consider recording your meeting or ask a participant to record the questions you
ask throughout the meeting.

During the Meeting

1. State the purpose for your question to the group and ask your Open-Ended
Question(s). Consider posting the Open-Ended Question(s) on a chart or
overhead.
NOTE: Be patient and wait for responses. And be careful. Meeting facilitators will often give some examples of right answers, which can inadvertently turn
their Open-Ended Question into a closed-ended question. For example: “What do you think is causing the increased error rate?” (open-ended question)
versus “Is it the employees we hire?” (closed-ended question).

NOTE: If you think you are getting responses that are too broad or too narrow, expand or contract your question.
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2. Chart the responses to your Open-Ended Question.

NOTE: Open-Ended Questions are an important tool and should be used in virtually every technique when asking questions.

NOTE: Closed-ended questions have their place. They are used to verify consensus or understanding of an issue. For example: “Do we all agree?” “We’re
meeting next Thursday, is that correct?”

Summary

Open-Ended Questions is a technique for gathering information in a manner that ensures the greatest response and participation. Open-Ended Questions are questions
that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.

Before the Meeting

1. Plan the specific Open-Ended Question(s) you are going to ask.

2. Plan how you will state the purpose for the Open-Ended Question(s).
During the Meeting

1. State the purpose for your question and pose your Open-Ended Question(s).
2. Chart the responses to your Open-Ended Question(s).