About this session
Critical thinking is not about being skeptical of everything or making every decision complicated.
It is the ability to recognize when a situation deserves deeper thought, ask better questions, evaluate the information available, notice what may be missing, and reach conclusions that are proportionate to the evidence.
Participants learn to separate observations from interpretations, identify assumptions, evaluate source and evidence quality, recognize cognitive biases, generate alternative explanations, and think more clearly about uncertainty and trade-offs.
They also explore why confidence and correctness are not the same thing and how to remain willing to update a view when stronger evidence appears.
The session moves beyond theory into practical decision-making.
Participants apply the tools to realistic workplace situations and build a repeatable process for moving from an unclear question to a reasoned decision, with enough documentation to understand later why the decision made sense at the time.
What your people take away
- Frame the real question before analyzing possible answers
- Distinguish observations, evidence, assumptions, interpretations, and conclusions
- Evaluate the relevance, reliability, and limitations of information
- Recognize cognitive biases and challenge the first explanation that feels convincing
- Compare alternatives, uncertainty, consequences, and trade-offs more deliberately
- Review decision quality separately from whether the eventual outcome happened to be good or bad
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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: Frame the Question Before You Solve ItA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Frame the Question Before You Solve It: define what you actually need to know, separate observation from interpretation and surface the assumptions.
- Define what you actually need to know
- Separate observation from interpretation
- Surface the assumptions
Covers 3 of 4 points in Frame the Question Before You Solve It.
60 minutes
Think More Clearly Before You DecideA focused introduction to practical critical thinking. Participants learn to frame better questions, separate evidence from assumptions, recognize common thinking traps, and use a simple process for improving everyday workplace decisions.
- Question framing
- Observation vs. interpretation
- Facts and assumptions
- Evidence quality
- Cognitive bias
- Critical Thinking Self-Check
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Frame the Question Before You Solve It.
90 minutes
Strengthen Evidence, Judgment & DecisionsThe extended session moves from critical-thinking fundamentals into evidence evaluation, alternative explanations, cognitive bias, uncertainty, trade-offs, and practical decision quality.
- Problem and question framing
- Assumption testing
- Evidence strength
- Correlation and causation
- Cognitive biases
- Alternative explanations
- Decision criteria and trade-offs
- Critical Decision Planner
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Frame the Question Before You Solve It and Evaluate Evidence & Information.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Frame the Question Before You Solve It, Evaluate Evidence & Information and Challenge Your Own Thinking.
Full day
Critical Thinking & Decision Quality LabA practical full-day workshop covering all four modules. Participants investigate realistic workplace situations, assess competing evidence, challenge assumptions, identify cognitive biases, develop alternatives, work with uncertainty, and build reasoned decisions that can withstand constructive scrutiny.
- Module 1 — Frame the Question Before You Solve It
- Module 2 — Evaluate Evidence & Information
- Module 3 — Challenge Your Own Thinking
- Module 4 — Turn Critical Thinking Into Better Decisions
- Question Framing Lab
- Facts–Assumptions–Inference Exercise
- Evidence Quality Challenge
- Cause-or-Correlation Case
- Bias Spotting Lab
- Alternative Explanation Exercise
- Decision Criteria & Trade-Off Matrix
- Uncertainty Scenario
- Decision Quality Review
- 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
Frame the Question Before You Solve It
Every length- Define what you actually need to knowPoor decisions often begin with an unclear question.
- Separate observation from interpretationPeople naturally attach meaning to what they observe.
- Surface the assumptionsEvery decision contains assumptions about customers, colleagues, costs, behavior, timing, risk, cause and effect, or what will happen next.
- Match the thinking to the decisionNot every choice deserves an elaborate analysis.
Evaluate Evidence & Information
90 minutes and longer- Ask how strong the evidence really isInformation can be accurate and still provide weak support for a conclusion.
- Check the source & the claimSource credibility matters, but even credible sources can make claims that extend beyond the evidence they present.
- Watch for cause-and-effect errorsTwo things changing together does not automatically mean one caused the other.
- Notice what is missingCritical thinking includes examining absences: customers who were not surveyed, failed initiatives nobody reports, alternatives that were never considered, or data that captures activity but not the intended outcome.
Challenge Your Own Thinking
3 hours and longer- Recognize cognitive biasesPeople use mental shortcuts because evaluating everything from first principles would be impossible.
- Generate alternative explanationsThe first plausible explanation often feels more certain once supporting evidence begins to accumulate around it.
- Look for disconfirming evidenceSearching only for evidence that supports an existing view makes almost any theory appear stronger.
- Calibrate your confidenceA confident judgment can still rest on incomplete evidence.
Turn Critical Thinking Into Better Decisions
Full day only- Create real alternativesA decision between one preferred option and doing nothing is rarely a strong comparison.
- Make trade-offs explicitMost meaningful decisions involve competing benefits rather than one option being superior on every dimension.
- Make decisions under uncertaintyWaiting for certainty can be as damaging as deciding too quickly.
- Review the thinking, not just the resultA sensible decision can produce a disappointing outcome because uncertainty exists, while a weak decision can occasionally succeed through luck.
Tools and materials
- Question Framing Canvas
- Facts–Assumptions–Inference Map
- Assumption Risk Matrix
- Evidence Quality Framework
- Cognitive Bias Diagnostic
- Alternative Explanation Builder
- Disconfirming Evidence Planner
- Uncertainty Map
- Decision Criteria Matrix
- Decision Record
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 Critical Thinking: From Good to Great Decisions
How long is Critical Thinking: From Good to Great Decisions?
Critical Thinking: From Good to Great Decisions 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 Frame the Question Before You Solve It: define what you actually need to know, separate observation from interpretation and surface the assumptions. A 60-minute session covers Frame the Question Before You Solve It in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Evaluate Evidence & Information. A 3-hour session adds Challenge Your Own Thinking. A full-day session adds Turn Critical Thinking Into Better Decisions. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Critical Thinking: From Good to Great Decisions 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 Critical Thinking: From Good to Great Decisions?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Critical Thinking: From Good to Great Decisions 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.