Critical

Thinking
What is critical thinking?
It is thinking that is purposeful, reasoned, and goal directed
It is searching, plotting, making associations, explaining,
analyzing, probing for multiple angles, justifying, scrutinizing,
making decisions, solving problems, and investigating
It is literally thinking about something from many angles.
Critical thinking is about making informed, enlightened,
educated, open-minded decisions in college in relationships in
finances and decisions in life in general.

Critical Thinking
To think critically, we must ask questions about the
information or data we have collected.
Is it important?
Is it relevant?
Is it applicable?
Is it significant?
But thats not enough. We must also ask questions about
the conclusion weve drawn from the information weve
collected
Is the conclusion fair?
Is it logical?
Is it reasonable?
Is it consistent with all the information collected?

Techniques of critical
thinking
Mind Mapping
Map whatever yours
mind thinks.

6 Thinking Hats
Using 6 different
mindsets to solve a
problem.
Mind Mapping
A mind map is a diagram used to visually outline
information.
A mind map is often created around a single word
or text, placed in the center, to which associated
ideas, words and concepts are added.
Major categories radiate from a central node, and
lesser categories are sub-branches of larger
branches.

Categories can represent words, ideas, tasks, or
other items related to a central key word or idea.
Guidelines
Start in the center with an image of the topic, using
at least 3 colors.
Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions
throughout your mind map.
Select key words and print using upper or lower
case letters.
Each word/image is best alone and sitting on its
own line.
The lines should be connected, starting from the
central image. The central lines are thicker, organic
and thinner as they radiate out from the center.

Make the lines the same length as the word/image
they support.
Use multiple colours throughout the mind map, for
visual stimulation and also to encode or group.
Develop your own personal style of mind mapping.
Use emphasis and show associations in your mind
map.
Keep the mind map clear by using radial hierarchy,
numerical order or outlines to embrace your
branches.

Six Thinking Hats
There are six different imaginary hats that you
can put on or take off.
Think of the hats as thinking icons.
Each hat is a different color and represents a
different type or mode of thinking.
We all wear the same hat (do the same type of
thinking) at the same time.
When we change hats - we change our
thinking.
The Blue Hat Role
Only one blue hat in a group.
Control the thinking & the process
Begin & end session with blue hat
Role of Blue Hat:
o open, sequence, close
o Focus: what should we be thinking about
o Asking the right questions
o Defining & clarifying the problem
o Setting the thinking tasks
April 2009
Anne Egros- International Business
Coach-Zest and Zen
13
Thinking Process
Why we are here
what we are thinking about
Definition of the situation or problem
Alternative definitions
what we want to achieve
where we want to end up
The background to the thinking
White Hat Thinking
1. Neutral, objective information
2. Facts & figures
3. Questions: what do we know, what dont we
know, what do we need to know
4. Excludes opinions, judgments
5. Removes feelings & impressions

Green Hat Thinking
1. New ideas, concepts, perceptions
2. Deliberate creation of new ideas
3. Alternatives and more alternatives
4. New approaches to problems
5. Creative & lateral thinking
Yellow Hat Thinking
1. Positive & speculative
2. Positive thinking, optimism, opportunity
3. Benefits
4. Best-case scenarios
5. Exploration
Black Hat Thinking
1. Cautious and careful
2. Logical negative why it wont work
3. Critical judgement, pessimistic view
4. Separates logical negative from emotional
5. Focus on errors, evidence, conclusions
6. Logical & truthful, but not necessarily fair
Red Hat Thinking
1. Emotions & feelings
2. Intuitions, impressions
3. Doesnt have to be logical or consistent
4. No justifications, reasons or basis
5. All decisions are emotional in the end
Hats sequence in meetings
1. Facilitator (Blue Hat) Open Clarifying the problem
2. Present the facts of the case (White Hat).
3. Generate ideas, how the case could be handled (Green Hat).
4. Evaluate the merits of the ideas, List benefits (Yellow Hat).
5. List drawbacks (Black Hat).
6. Get everybody's gut feeling about the alternatives (Red Hat).
7. Summarize (Blue Hat).