Critical Thinking 101 For Project Managers
Bill Richardson - 416-867-4776
Handout Version
Thinking..The Big Bang of Business.
”Thinking is the nucleus of business…it drives not only what gets created and launched,but also what lives on.
It’s the big bang that sets everything else inmotion.
If you want to change your results, you must first change your thinking.”
Marcum and Smith - businessThink
“ Good To Great”Jim Collins
• Right people on the bus
• Wrong people off the bus
• Right people in the right seats
• Then figure out where to drive the bus
Top leaders tendencies:Who Can
ThinkCritically!
The Painful Reality…..
…is that project managers, leaders and companies don’t pay people to think - they pay ( hope, pray,expect) people to agree -----with them!
And…..luck is not a method!
Tonight- On Critical Thinking!
• Remind you about being human!
• Road test in the project life cycle
• Help you take home the right 30%
• Refocus your skills
• Introduce your “Other Half” into a new model
A Road Map
Need
Humanity
Model
PROCESS
SKILLS
DesiredResult
PREFERENCES
Habit Habits can be your best friend or your VERY worst enemy
> Form them 1 strand at a time
> Break them 1 strand at a time
> Your habits are a product of environment
> Good news is they are breakable
> Bad news it’s simple but not easy
“Auto-Pilot Navigation”
Learning Context
1
2 3
4
Conscious
NotConscious
NotCompetent
Competent
21 days then
Egocentricity A tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself…...
> Memory……convenient and selective > Myopia……narrow point of view
> Righteousness…..only we know the truth
> Hypocrisy……do as I say, not as I do
> Blindness…..to contradictory facts.
“Empowered Beyond Reason”
A Perfectly Good Strength When multiplied by ego:
> Confidence
> Dedication
> Courage
> Ambition
> Perseverance
becomes sense of Infalibility
becomes Workaholism
becomes Foolhardiness
becomes Coercion
becomes Resistance To Change
Fear A painful emotion excited by expectation of evil or apprehension of impending danger…..
> Its an emotion put in place to protect us
> Conquering fear does not mean destroying it”
> Its hormonal and neurochemical
> Fictitious Events Appearing Real
“Self Inflicted Paralysis”
So, What Are Critical Thinking
Skills?
….a set of skills for resolving problems and maximizing opportunities, which affect organizations and their customers.
The Skills
What is or could be happening?
Why is it happening?
Which is the best course of action?
How do we do it?
Situational Assessment
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Action Planning
We jump to resolution!
We jump to cause!
We jump to solution!
We jump to action! Issues
Gather
Critical Thinking Process
Generate
Evaluate Agree
Left Brain Right Brain
IQ EQ
Integration and Balance
IQ EQ
Ask the hard questions in a soft way! From “businessThink”
IdentifyIssues
AnticipateIssues
Issues Clear?
ClarifyIssues
PriorityKnown?
SetPriority
Cause Known?
SolutionKnown?
Describe Problem
List Objectives
Draft Plan
ListCauses
GenerateAlternatives
Anticipate Changes
Test Causes
Evaluate Alternatives
Revise Plan
Gain Support
Gain Support
Seek Agreement
No
NoYes
YesNo
Yes
No
Yes
Problem Solving Decision Making Action Planning
Situation Assessment
The Model
Road Test
Initiation/Feasibility
Project Life Cycle
Feasibility
Planning
Execution
Evaluation
Process Goal
• Situation Assessment • Clarity?
• Decision Making
• Priority?
• Best Choice • Gain Commitment
• Action Planning • Baselines!
• Situational Assessment • Problem Solving • Decision Making • Action Planning
• Status • Correction
• Situational Assessment • Problem Solving
• Learning?
• Costs?
• Quality
• Risk?
• Client Satisfaction
• Client Satisfaction
Take Home Summary
Need
Habit
Ego
Fear
Model
PROCESS
SKILLS
DesiredResult
Leverage Your Other Half
Learn Where To Start
Pay Attention & Stay Off Auto Pilot
Harness And Keep On A Short Leash
Let Go Of “Fear Is Bad”
Focus on clarity, priority and root cause and getting agreementDon’t Jump!!!
Teach To Learn
PREFERENCES
Learn To Identify
The Value PropositionBetter critical thinking will help you:
• Deal more effectively with imposed constraints
• Better manage expectations
• Better manage - functional vs project dimensions
• Have more fun in your work life
• Become more influential
Tomorrow?
Start
Stop
Continue
• ego on a short leash
• jumping
• think
• find the cause
• focus on clarity • ignoring your other half
• hugging the coastline
• feel • act
The Buddha onMindfulness
Non-judgment
Patience
Beginner’s Mind
Trust
Non-striving
Acceptance
Letting Go
How They CatchMonkeys