The Thinking Skills

PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOME• P01 Ability to obtain knowledge on theories, methods and applications

related to mechanical engineering.• P02 Ability to develop, integrate, and apply related ideas in various

situations and contexts.• P03 Ability to demonstrate proficientcy in analyzing, applying, and solving

problems through all relevant analycal, experimental and numerical approach.

• P04 Ability to express and communicate knowledge and idea effectively.

• P05 Ability to work as a team.• P06 Ability to practice professional ethics and execute work with sensitivity

towards work safety and health, and the environment.

• P07 Ability to continue life-long learning and manage information.

• P08 Ability to acquire entrepreneurship skills.• P09 Ability to lead engineering projects.

What are THINKING SKILLS?Thinking is a natural function or believe that the great thinkers among us are gifted. Research shows that each of us has a hugely powerful potential in our brains that lies vastly under-used.• Potential of the brain (100 billion cells)• Brain Power (10 billion neurons)• Exploring the Myths (Intelligence Quotient)• Brainworks (logical, imaginative, invent, innovate)• Management thinking (basic facts, understanding, analysis, social skills, creativity,

self-knowledge.)• Key-points, (breaking down into points)

POSITIVE THINKINGFor much of the time, our thoughts les us down. They are confused, disjointed and reactive. They don’t have to be. Through training our thoughts to be positive, focused and assertive, we can at a stroke improve the quality of our thinking.

• Untrained Thinking (doubt, fantasising, self-deprecating, remembering the worst,

confusion, reactive thinking, distraction)• Distorted Thinking (Lazy, compulsive & obsessive, must, should, black and

white, mood swing, negative and limiting)• Catastrophosing (Doubt & fear)

• Confusion• Distraction• Yo-yo Thinking

IMPROVE YOUR MEMORYMost of us complain at some time about our poor memories – especially when we forgot things that are important. But it is not memory that let us down. Our brain remember everything we experienced. • Synaesthesia (Easily improve the memory when you link the thing you want to

remember)• Landmarks (Emotional, shock, funny, unexpected, silly, embarrass, outrage)

• PEG System (Remembering a sequence of number)

• Rhymes (O, T, T, F, F, S, S, E, N, _)

• Repetition (Short term memory, long term memory)• Key Points (recall, emotional, senses, rhymes, STMLTM)

BLOCKS TO THINKINGWhat stops us from thinking effectively for much of the time are perceptual, emotional, cultural, and environmental. • Assumptions• See things from other points of view• Thinking Doing• Get rid of lazy thinking habits• Think like a child• See the detail as well as big picture• Think for yourself (don’t let others tell you how to think)

• Time to think

LOGICAL THINKINGLogical thinking relies on the conscious brain and this is the most limited and vulnerable part of our thinking.• Left-Brain Thinking (Govern the Right-side, right vision, deal with input, verbal skills,

set goals plans and reviews, managerial mind, formulate language)

• Right-Brain Thinking (Govern the Left-side, left vision, deal with input, visual skills, intuitive and kinaesthetic perception, imagination and visualisation, symbol and metaphor)

• Managerial Thinking (What, Where, When, Why, Who, How)

• Logical Thinking (Logical-left brain, clear goal and solution, systematic planning, using information, reasoning, checking conclusion)

• Goal Setting (Clear goal, be S.M.A.R.T, i.e. SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC, TIME-BOUNDED)

• Systematic planning, using information + resources

CREATIVE THINKINGWe tends to prefer ideas that fit preconceived patterns, systems that have been proved and solution that are low-risk. We need to be more creative, develop new thinking, and new solutions, i.e. using the right-brain.• Think like a child (keep asking question, why?)

• Be more curious (The search for new answer, think outside the box)

• Play with ideas (keep the idea rolling)

• Make new connections (making connection with existing ideas)

• Be a little illogical

• Stay cheerful & think outside your limits

BRAINSTORMING

Thinking with others has a numbers of advantages over thinking alone. It increases the number of ideas, quality of ideas, we can have. It also increase the chance of successful implementation.• Brainstorming (wild idea, evaluation of idea, quantity of idea, participant can build

on each other’ idea.)

• Brainstorming session (write down idea, relax climate, start with brainteaser, ensure nobody dominates, encourage idea free flow, use a facilitator, further discuss on the established idea.)

• Sparkling (spark as many idea as possible based on an established idea)

• Paradoxical Intention (generate more ideas by deliberately thinking of ways to make the problem worse)

• Seeding (Correlates all possible outcome which might not be related)

• Brain writing (write down your idea)

DECISION TAKINGFrom time to time, we have to take decisions. Hence, right decision making is essentials.

• Timing (making decision too soon, making them too late.)

• Knowing where to strike (decision should be made based on knowledge and knowing where and when to strike.)

• Align them (Align the decision to the goals and purposes, keep aligning, review.)

• Balance them (think and act, see the possible risks of your decision.)

• Act when you have to (DON’T decide unless you have two or more valid option, if its somebody’s responsibility, unless there is disagreement, irrelevant matters, if it can’t turn into action.)

• Use a decision making model (software?)• Use a decision tree (mind map, pros and cons)• Instinct

PROBLEM SOLVINGProblems can be any situation where we are prevented from moving forward or reaching our goals. Problems are caused by lack of information, lack of insight or lack or ideas.

• The problem with problems • Classical approach (aware of the problem, define the problem, survey what you

know, advance possible solution, test them, identify the best solution)

• Do nothing (problem or new situation, problem or opportunity, change the goals and plan to stop it being a problems.)

• Take your time (be patient, live with problem, slow down and refine it.)

• Sleep with it (Relax, do something else, or sleep with it. Our subconscious mind can work on the problem itself and come up with an answer sometimes.)

• Attack the problem, Two heads are better than one.

INNOVATIONThis is not just innovating about new products and services, but also about new systems, new methods, and new procedures. Innovation is always the answer to creative solutions and the route to get ahead of the competition.• Create an innovative climate• Keep your eyes open• Dreams and Daydreams• Develop creativity• Making new connection

Knowledge

• “Thought is the key to knowledge.• Knowledge is – discovered by thinking – analyzed by thinking– organized by thinking– transformed by thinking– assessed by thinking– and, most importantly, acquired by thinking.”

(Paul, 1993 vii)

The Thinking Process

The Thinking Process

• Essential knowledge – facts, concepts, principles, procedures

• MUDD – memory, understanding, doing, desire

• Barriers to good thinking – habits of perception (beliefs, preconceive ideas,

visual or mental illusions)– Restricted working memory (7±2 bits)– Slow conscious processing speed

Different people see things differently

The Thinking Process

Types of thinking• Creative Thinking• Critical Thinking• Meta-Cognitive (Thinking about thinking)

Creative Thinking

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

What is Good Thinking?

Have a good thinking about what we have discussed…..

And

USE IT

PROJECT