CT-Unit I - Tools For Clarity in CT-AFK-3

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CRITICAL THINKING
Dr. Ahmad Faraz Khan, FMSR, AMU
Critical Thinking Syllabus
Unit-I: Introduction to Critical Thinking

• Thinking Critically: Definition, Standards, Barriers
• Perceiving and Believing
• Framework & Tools of Critical Thinking
• Tools for Clarity in Critical Thinking
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Critical Thinking Framework
Three components:
❖CLARITY: Questioning/understanding a
situation; Getting clear on the issue/problem/ goal
❖CONCLUSIONS: coming to conclusion on

what to do based on the clarity about the
issue/problem/goal
❖DECISIONS: taking action on that conclusion;

deciding to act on the conclusions.
The Critical Thinking Framework
Discovery, information, ideas
CLARITY CONCLUSIONS
D DECISIONS
Tools & Techniques for
“Clarity”
TOOLS &TECHNIQUES FOR “CLARITY”
❖Empty your Bucket

❖Inspection
❖Why?
❖So What?
❖Need
❖Anticipatory Thinking
❖What Else?
❖The Ingredient Diagram
Empty Your Bucket
Been there, done

that!
Interactions Conflicting
priorities,
strategies and
projects
Lack of resources,
time, and budget
Other departments
Empty Your Bucket
There
is
always
a
way!
Inspection
What all the words in a given headscratcher

mean
❖ Example: “We need to improve the quality of

our services”
▪ Who are we?

▪ Is this a need or a want?
▪ Improve to what?
▪ What’s the definition of quality?
▪ Does this mean every services; every touch, etc.
Exercise-1 (5 mins)
www.themegallery.com
Rewrite these sentences so that they

are clear:
❖We need to get there faster
❖Our project is behind schedule
❖I’ll get back to you soon on that issue
❖Please call these customers and find out

what they want
Why?
Why? Is the most powerful question we can

ask during the critical thinking process
Why?- Does not mean ”not caring”
We ask why:
• To distinguish this from that
• To find a root cause
• To get to “I don’t know”
• To get to the double because (Because!!)
Distinguish this from that
Can you please run a

report showing the sales
of each product for the
past four months?
OK!
Now can you

show the sales
of each product
by salesperson?
OK!
Now, can you do one for

the marketing programs
that have been approved
for the next six months?
OK!
Excuse me, but are you

requesting this data so that
you can create a sales
forecast?
Yes
Oh, if that’s what you want to create,

you might want the product release
schedule over the next six months,
because we are updating many of our
products and expect a significant
increase in revenue
Oh,
really
It’s better to ask WHY? in the first

place
Ask Why to Get to a Root Cause
THIS happened.
Why?
Because of that.
Why?
Because of that other thing.
Why?
Because of this Root Cause.

Ask Why To Get to “I don’t know”
“I don’t know” may seem like a lack of response
But
It is actually a very important discovery
❖ It clarifies the boundary of knowledge we or other might have

about a situation.
❖ It is a signal to ask other questions, such as

▪ Who might know that you can ask to find out?
▪ How can we find out?
▪ Can we make any assumption that will allow us to know and then
validate or invalidate those assumptions later?
Ask Why to Get to Because!!
❖Double because- it’s a because you can’t
reasonably do anything about
❖Because!! Is a constraint to our eventual

solution
❖Example: “Why do we have to do all this

paperwork?”
Because!! you work in a regulated industry
So What?
❖So what? is not a question you ask if you don’t
care
rather,
you ask because you care a great deal
❖It’s not insubordination or being wise
❖What is the relevance of this?/Why is this

important?
So What?
❖Your company’s so what is often called its
value proposition
❖It is price, service, availability, uniqueness or

all of them
❖Your so what- what value do you provide to

your peers, family and company
Exercise-2 (7 mins)
❖Pick up any item on your desk- a piece of

paper, a pen, a cup holder- what is the so
what about that item? Why is it important?
How is it relevant? What if it weren’t there?
❖What is your so what? What makes you

valuable to your peers, your family, or your
company? What are the skills,
accomplishments, or things that you have or
do that make a difference?
Need
“Necessity is the mother of invention”
- Plato
What is the Necessity?
❖Want Vs Need
▪ Example- Email Inbox
▪ “We need to be more agile”
❖ Great Teams and Need

▪ Example- 1995 dial-up ISP- New pricing: $19.95 for unlimited usage
❖ Need and Survival

▪ Example- Swim or Perish
Exercise-3 (5 mins)
❖Make a list of things you plan to do

tomorrow. Use this template
Item What is the What happens if it

need? doesn’t get done
tomorrow?
Anticipatory Thinking
Anticipatory Thinking is a way to stimulate thinking
about consequences and related tasks that you
have may not have initially contemplated
▪ What’s next?
▪ What after that?
▪ What will happen if I do this?
▪ What might be the reaction if I say this?
Example- Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, Google,

Apple, etc.
What Else?
Used in conjunction with Why?
When ideas start to subside, asking what else
stimulates lateral thinking
▪ What else could possibly cause this?

▪ During brainstorming
▪ When building or designing something
▪ When you thought you knew the reason for
something
▪ Augment What’s next with What else
The Ingredient Diagram
Ingredients are variables that define a
headscratcher
Clarifies the variables affecting the problem
A tool that helps you transition between clarity and

conclusion
(fishbone diagram)
Day of
Week
Traffic
Kms per
Time of Day
Litre
Tune-up
# of people
On roof?
Distance to Weight Luggage

petrol pump In trunk?
Trailer
Tire
Pressure
Wind
Speed
Direction
Speed traps
Speed
Limits
Who’s
driving?
Manager Distractions
Computer Training
Tools
Time Applications Support
Interruptions
Focus
Noise
# of tasks
Productivity Project
Amount of
Difficulty level
Work
Responsibility
Defects
Quality Tools
SLA
Agreements
Metrices
Reports
Exercise-4 (7 mins)
1. Group of 4
2. Create an ingredient diagram for

“What should we do for lunch?”
Hint: Cost, No. of people, time, distance, appetite and

cuisine

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Company

Unit-I: Introduction to Critical Thinking

❖CONCLUSIONS: coming to conclusion on

❖DECISIONS: taking action on that conclusion;

Discovery, information, ideas

❖Empty your Bucket

Been there, done

What all the words in a given headscratcher

❖ Example: “We need to improve the quality of

▪ Who are we?

Rewrite these sentences so that they

❖We need to get there faster

❖Our project is behind schedule

❖I’ll get back to you soon on that issue

❖Please call these customers and find out

Why? Is the most powerful question we can

Why?- Does not mean ”not caring”

Can you please run a

Now can you

Now, can you do one for

Excuse me, but are you

Oh, if that’s what you want to create,

It’s better to ask WHY? in the first

Because of that other thing.

Because of this Root Cause.

❖ It clarifies the boundary of knowledge we or other might have

❖ It is a signal to ask other questions, such as

❖Because!! Is a constraint to our eventual

❖Example: “Why do we have to do all this

❖It’s not insubordination or being wise

❖What is the relevance of this?/Why is this

❖It is price, service, availability, uniqueness or

❖Your so what- what value do you provide to

❖Pick up any item on your desk- a piece of

❖What is your so what? What makes you

❖ Great Teams and Need

❖ Need and Survival

❖Make a list of things you plan to do

Item What is the What happens if it

Example- Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, Google,

▪ What else could possibly cause this?

Clarifies the variables affecting the problem

A tool that helps you transition between clarity and

Distance to Weight Luggage

2. Create an ingredient diagram for

Hint: Cost, No. of people, time, distance, appetite and

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