PROBLEM SOLVING

AND CRITICAL
THINKING
Objectives:
 Understand key terms in problem-
solving
 Discover steps to accelerate your
learning
 Learn the types of questions you will
need to master
 Develop problem-solving techniques
 Key Terms
 Problem-Solving
 Critical
Thinking
 Creative Thinking
 Strategic Thinking
 Decision-Making
 Problem-Solving
 Involves using higher-order thinking skills
to effectively handle and critically work
out realistic solutions to problems.

- Is a basic skill or tool that is needed by

employees for workplace demands
- Includes a complex set of cognitive,
behavioral, and attitudinal components
- Can be a multiple-step process
 Critical Thinking
 Involves examining the meaning and
significance of what is observed or
expressed.

- Is a useful skill in making careful

considerations during problem-solving
- Involves objectively and thoughtfully
examining evidence before making judgments
- Requires logic, reasoning, clarity, credibility,
accuracy, relevance, depth, significance, and
fairness.
 Creative Thinking
 Involves exploring ideas, generating
possibilities, and looking for many right
answers rather than just one.
– Thinking creatively allows individuals to have
the ability to accept change and newness, a
willingness to play with ideas, and a flexibility
in their outlooks
– Is an important mode of thinking when trying
to solve problems
Positive Attitudes that Lead
to Creativity
1.) Curiosity
2.) Challenge
3.) Constructive Discontent
4.) Believing most problems can be
solved
5.) Understanding that problems can
lead to improvements
6.) Seeing the good in the bad
 Strategic Thinking
 Involves assessing a program in relation to
its mission, its future goals, and the
external environment.
– requires examining whether a program is
"doing the right things" in order to achieve its
mission
– means having an end goal or vision in mind
and developing plans to reach them
 Characteristics of Strategic
Thinking
 There is a focus on:

– long-term rather than short-term outcomes

– the “big picture” and underlying systems
– critical and creative thinking
– leverage and gaining a maximum advantage
 Decision-Making
 Involves identifying & choosing
alternatives based on the values and
preferences of the decision maker.

– When making choices among alternatives, we

want the decision that:
1) Has the highest chance of being successful or
effective
2) Best fits with our needs, goals, desires, and values

- Decisions can be simple or complex

 Types of Decisions
1.) Decisions about whether or not
- involves yes/no, either/or decisions
- make decisions by weighing pros versus
cons

2.) Decisions of which

-
involves choosing the best alternative
among a set of decisions

3.) Contingent decisions

- depend on certain conditions being met
 Decision-Making Steps

1.) Identify the decision that needs to be

made and possible goals to reach.
2.) Gather up information.
3.) Generate a list of alternative solutions.
4.) Rate the alternatives.
5.) Examine the risk of each alternative.
6.) Make the decision.
 How to Accelerate your
Learning for Problem-Solving
In order to accelerate learning, one
must acknowledge their personal
learning style, maximize their
intelligence and their ability to
acquire and remember
information.
 Determine your Learning
Style
 Knowing your learning style can help you
capitalize on your strengths and play down
weaknesses
 Learning is dependent on our senses to
process information
– There is often a tendency to use certain senses
over others
 Determine your Learning
Style
 Three Learning Basic Learning Styles:

1.) Visual: learning through “seeing”

 Ex: Diagrams, illustrations, pictures

2.) Auditory: learning through “hearing”

 Ex: Verbal lectures

3.) Kinesthetic: learning through “doing”

 Ex: Hands-on learning

 Find your learning style at:

http://people.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/learning-style/
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
Theory
 Howard Gardner conceived of 8
different intelligences.
– There are many different ways for people to
demonstrate intellectual ability.
– If we are aware of our most highly developed
intelligences, we can make optimal use of
them at work.
Eight intelligences: Linguistic, Logical-
mathematical, Spatial, Bodily-kinesthetic,
Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
Theory
1.) Linguistic intelligence = “word smart”
2.) Logical-mathematical intelligence =
“number/reasoning smart”

3.) Spatial intelligence = “picture smart”

4.) Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence = “body
smart”
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
Theory Continued…
5.)Musical Intelligence = “music smart”
6.) Interpersonal intelligence = “people
smart”

7.) Intrapersonal intelligence = “self smart”

8.) Naturalist intelligence = “nature smart”
Develop your Memory Skills
 Memory involves recalling information that
you have learned or experienced.

– Can be short-or long term; meaning that

some information is stored for different
amounts of time
– There are tips and exercises that can be
used to improve memory
 General Methods to Improve
your Memory
1.) Pay attention and do not multi-task
2.) Tailor information to your learning style
3.) Utilize your senses
4.) Relate information to what you already know
5.) Organize information
6.) Rehearse information frequently and
“over-learn”
7.) Be motivated and maintain a positive
attitude
Mnemonic Devices to Improve
Memory
Devices that can be used:
1.) Visual images
2.) Sentences
3.) Acronyms
4.) Rhymes
5.) “Chunking” information, which is to
categorize information into smaller
sections that are easier to remember
Types of Questions Involved in
Problem-Solving
There are three basic types of
questions:

1.) Open-ended
2.) Closed-ended
3.) Leading
 Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended: is designed to encourage a full,

meaningful answer using the subjects own
knowledge and feelings

- Allows for a free response and can be

perceived as a less threatening type of
question.

- Example: Can you tell me what you think of

your relationship with your boss?
 Closed-Ended Questions

Closed-ended: is designed to encourage a

short or one word answer, such as “yes” or
“no.”

- These questions require short responses, and

thus save time. However, responses may then
be more incomplete.

- Example: Do you get along well with your boss?

 Leading Questions

Leading: designed to subtly prompt the

responder to answer in a particular way.

- These questions can be problematic as they

can result in false or slanted information.

- Example: Tell me how this problem arose?

(this assumes that there is a problem and
that you were involved in it arising)
Problem-Solving Techniques
- Problem-solving techniques are similar to
those with decision-making, although
there is usually a final best solution, and
thus more clarity.
-This is not a linear process, and steps can be
repeated or reordered if necessary

-This technique is most useful for complex

problem-solving and difficult decisions
 Problem-Solving Techniques
Continued…
 Seven steps for problem-solving can
be carried out.

1.) Identify the issues

- Be clear about what the problem is

2.) Understand everyone’s interests

-It is important to take the perspective of all that
are involved to generate the best solution
 Problem-Solving Techniques
Continued…
3.) List possible solutions
- Brainstorm and use creativity to come up with
ideas on how to solve the problem

4.) Evaluate the options

- Consider the pros and cons for given solutions

5.) Select an options or options

- Determine what is the best option and provides the
most balancing solution to the problem. Consider
also whether several solutions could be combined.
Problem-Solving Techniques
6.) Document any agreements
- if working in a group, note the agreement
among members about solutions

7.) Implement, monitor, and evaluate

solutions
 Becoming Aware
 Tobe an effective problem-solver,
you need to have self-awareness
about your:

– Thinking processes, decision-making skills,

learning style, intelligence, memory and
information acquisition, and problem-solving
skills and techniques
 ACTIVITY
Instruction: Using the following method
presented below, think of a particular
problem which interests you and
describe the steps you will take to
provide solution to that particular
issue.
 Note: Clarity – 5 points
 Presentation – 10 points
 Uniqueness – 5 points
 Total – 20 points