About this session
Workplace decisions are full of arguments, even when nobody calls them that: a proposal for investment, a recommendation to change a process, an explanation for declining performance, a case for hiring, a challenge to a strategy, or a conclusion drawn from data.
Participants learn how to separate claims from evidence, expose the assumptions connecting them, judge whether the reasoning actually supports the conclusion, and test an argument against competing explanations and counterarguments.
They explore several practical reasoning tools rather than learning one rigid framework.
Shorter formats establish the fundamentals.
Longer programs progressively develop participants from understanding argument structure into evidence evaluation, reasoning quality, counterargument, argument mapping, professional challenge, and advanced application to real workplace decisions.
What your people take away
- Recognize the claims, reasons, evidence, assumptions, and conclusions inside an argument
- Build arguments in which the evidence genuinely supports the conclusion
- Evaluate the relevance, credibility, and strength of supporting evidence
- Identify hidden assumptions, reasoning gaps, fallacies, and alternative explanations
- Develop and respond to counterarguments without misrepresenting another person's position
- Present complex reasoning clearly enough for others to question, evaluate, and act on
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- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Build an Argument That Holds TogetherA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Build an Argument That Holds Together: find the actual claim, connect reasons to the conclusion and surface the assumptions.
- Find the actual claim
- Connect reasons to the conclusion
- Surface the assumptions
Covers 3 of 4 points in Build an Argument That Holds Together.
60 minutes
Build & Test a Stronger ArgumentA practical introduction to argument structure. Participants learn how claims, reasons, evidence, assumptions, and conclusions fit together and use a simple workplace case to identify where an argument is strong or weak.
- What makes something an argument
- Claim → reason → evidence → conclusion
- Hidden assumptions
- Evidence versus assertion
- Simple argument mapping
- Argument Quality Self-Check
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Build an Argument That Holds Together.
90 minutes
Construct, Evaluate & Challenge ArgumentsThe extended session moves from argument construction into evidence evaluation and challenge. Participants build an argument, test its assumptions, examine the quality of its evidence, and develop a credible counterargument.
- Argument anatomy
- Claims, grounds, assumptions, and conclusions
- Claim–Evidence–Reasoning
- Introduction to Toulmin-style argument analysis
- Evidence quality
- Correlation and causation
- Counterarguments and steelmanning
- Applied Argument Analysis
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Build an Argument That Holds Together and Evaluate Evidence & Reasoning.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Build an Argument That Holds Together, Evaluate Evidence & Reasoning and Challenge Arguments Without Distorting Them.
Full day
Argument Analysis & Reasoning LabA hands-on full-day workshop covering the complete journey from constructing an argument to testing, challenging, revising, and presenting it. Participants work with realistic workplace proposals, recommendations, data claims, and competing positions.
- Module 1 — Build an Argument That Holds Together
- Module 2 — Evaluate Evidence & Reasoning
- Module 3 — Challenge Arguments Without Distorting Them
- Module 4 — Use Arguments to Improve Decisions
- Argument Mapping Lab
- Evidence Evaluation Exercise
- Assumption Hunt
- Cause vs. Correlation Challenge
- Fallacy & Reasoning Clinic
- Counterargument and Steelman Practice
- Decision Case Challenge
- Argument Revision Exercise
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Build an Argument That Holds Together
Every length- Find the actual claimArguments become difficult to evaluate when the central claim is vague, keeps changing, or is buried beneath background information.
- Connect reasons to the conclusionA list of facts is not automatically an argument.
- Surface the assumptionsMany arguments depend on beliefs that are never said aloud.
- Match certainty to the reasoningNot every argument proves something with certainty.
Evaluate Evidence & Reasoning
90 minutes and longer- Ask whether the evidence is relevantEvidence can be accurate and still fail to support the claim being made.
- Test the quality of the evidenceParticipants examine source credibility, recency, sample quality, representativeness, measurement, missing context, and whether important evidence has been selectively excluded.
- Check cause, correlation & explanationTwo things occurring together does not prove that one caused the other.
- Map the reasoningArgument mapping makes complex reasoning visible by showing claims, supporting reasons, evidence, assumptions, objections, and relationships between them.
Challenge Arguments Without Distorting Them
3 hours and longer- Look for reasoning failuresParticipants learn to recognize common reasoning problems such as false dilemmas, hasty generalization, circular reasoning, appeals to popularity or authority, personal attacks, weak analogies, moving the goalposts, and selective evidence.
- Build the strongest counterargumentWeak debate attacks the easiest version of an opposing position.
- Search for alternative explanationsA convincing story can feel like proof when nobody has considered what else could explain the same evidence.
- Know what would change your mindGood reasoning includes the possibility of revision.
Use Arguments to Improve Decisions
Full day only- Build a decision-ready caseA professional argument needs more than logical structure.
- Ask questions that test the argumentCritical challenge does not always require an immediate opposing view.
- Disagree with the reasoning, not the personWorkplace argument becomes unproductive when intellectual challenge is experienced as personal attack.
- Revise when the argument improvesThe goal of argument evaluation is better judgment, not victory.
Tools and materials
- Argument Anatomy Guide
- Claim–Evidence–Reasoning Canvas
- Argument Map
- Assumption Audit
- Evidence Quality Checklist
- Causal Claim Tester
- Reasoning Red-Flag Guide
- Steelman Builder
- Counterargument Map
- Decision Case Builder
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Building & Evaluating Arguments
How long is Building & Evaluating Arguments?
Building & Evaluating Arguments runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Build an Argument That Holds Together: find the actual claim, connect reasons to the conclusion and surface the assumptions. A 60-minute session covers Build an Argument That Holds Together in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Evaluate Evidence & Reasoning. A 3-hour session adds Challenge Arguments Without Distorting Them. A full-day session adds Use Arguments to Improve Decisions. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Building & Evaluating Arguments be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Building & Evaluating Arguments?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Building & Evaluating Arguments to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.