CT Presentation Tefera 2021

Critical thinking
A Training for the senior experts of Addis

Ababa city Administration
Tefera Muluneh
Consultant
Introduction
● Do you think that there are people who are just
naturally good thinkers, like Albert Einstein?
● Do you think that these naturally good thinkers

are the only thinkers who think and discover
amazing things?
● Or do you think that you could ever learn to think

like Albert Einstein.
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Introduction …
● The fact is that almost anyone can learn to think

like Albert Einstein.
● However, good thinking is hard work.

Learning to think clearly and carefully takes
— training,
— patience, &
— practice.

What is Critical Thinking?
● What is:
 Critical?
 Thinking?
 Critical Thinking? and
● why Critical Thinking?
Discuss for 10 minutes in a group of 2or 3

Why Critical Thinking?
● Everyone thinks.
○ It is our nature
● But much of our thinking,
○ is biased,
○ distorted,
○ partial,
○ uninformed, or
○ downright prejudiced.
● Yet, the quality of our life and that of what we
produce, make, or build depends precisely on
the quality of our thought.
Why …
● Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in

quality of life.
● Excellence in thought, however, must be

systematically cultivated.

Why …
● Critical thinking skills are important because it:
○ help businesses run smoothly and thrive by
solving problems,
○ developing solutions and creating new ideas.
● For example:
○ if you’re working in HRM & get a conflict
○ It helps to understand the nature of the
conflict and what action should be taken to
resolve it.
Why …
● Thinking critically will also help you to create

strong arguments of your own
● Developing critical thinking skills will allow you to

develop more reasoned arguments for your
assignments

Defining
the words

Critical
● The word ’’critical’’ derives etymologically from
two Greek roots:
○ "kriticos" (meaning discerning judgment)
and
○ "kriterion" (meaning standards).
○ then, the word implies the development of
"discerning judgment based on standards."
● Critical: involving making fair, careful
judgments about the good and bad qualities of
sb/sth (OALD, 8th ed.)
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Thinking
Thinking is the way that the mind makes

sense of the world.
There is no way to understand anything

except through thinking.
Thinking …
● Words used interchangeably

○ Thinking
■ The process of thinking about sth. Or Ideas
or opinions about sth.
○ Thought
■ The power or process of thinking
○ Attitude
■ The way that you think & feel about sb/sth.
(OALD, 8th ed.)
Thinking …
● It is a mental behavior wherein ideas, pictures,
cognitive symbolizations, or other hypothetical
components of thought are experienced or
manipulated. (Dictionary of Psychology)
In this sense, thinking is inclusive of imagining,

recalling, solving problems, free association,
daydreaming, concept formation, and a variety of
other procedures.
Thinking …
● the word thinking can describe any number of
cognitive activities, and there is certainly more
than one way to think.
● We can think
○ analytically,
○ creatively,
○ strategically,
and so on.
Thinking …
● Analytical thinking
○ When we think analytically, we take the whole
that we are examining
— this could be a term, a situation, a scientific
phenomenon
— and attempt to identify its components.
Thinking …
● Analytical thinking is the kind of thinking mostly
used in:
○ academia,
○ science, and
○ law (including crime scene investigation).
● In ordinary life, however, you engage in analytical
thinking more often than you imagine.
○ For example, think of a time when you felt
puzzled by someone else’s comment.
Thinking …
● Creative thinking
○ Here, we are not focused on relationships
between parts and their wholes, as we are
thinking analytically.
○ Rather, we try to free our minds from any
boundaries such as rules or conventions.
○ Instead, our tools are:
- imagination and
- innovation.
Thinking …
● Example:
○ Suppose you are cooking, and you do not have all

the ingredients called for in your recipe.
○ If you start thinking creatively, you will begin to

look for things in your refrigerator and pantry that
can substitute for the missing ingredients.
Thinking …
● Strategic thinking:
○ When we think strategically, our focus is to
first lay out a master plan of action and then
break it down into smaller goals that are
organized in such a way as to support our
outcomes.
Critical thinking
● we can define critical thinking as the activity of

careful assessment and self-assessment in the
process of forming judgments.
● This means that when we think critically, we

become the vigilant guardians of the quality of
our thinking.
Critical thinking ...
● “critical” in critical thinking refers to a healthy

dose of suspicion.
● This means that critical thinkers do not simply

accept what they read or hear from others.
— even if the information comes from loved ones or
— is accompanied by plausible-sounding statistics.
● Instead, critical thinkers check the sources of

information.
● Most importantly, critical thinkers are guided by
logical reasoning.
● As a critical thinker, always ask yourself
○ what is unclear,
○ not understood, or
○ unknown.
● This is the first step in critical thinking
 because you cannot make good judgments
about things that you do not understand or
know.
It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone to

believe anything on insufficient evidence.
W. K. Clifford
Definition
● Critical thinking is thinking:
— about any subject, content, or problem
— in which the thinker improves the quality of his
thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and
reconstructing it.
● Critical thinking is:
○ self-directed,
○ self-disciplined,
○ self-monitored, and
○ self-corrective thinking.
Definition …
● Critical thinking:
○ is a careful thinking directed to a goal.
○ is the ability to think clearly and rationally,
understanding the logical connection between
ideas.
Definition …
● Critical thinking is:

○ reasonable,
○ reflective thinking
 that is focused on deciding what to believe
or do
Definition …
● Critical thinking is aimed at achieving the best

possible outcomes in any situation.
○ In order to achieve this it must involve
gathering and evaluating information from as
many different sources possible.
Definition …
● Critical thinking requires:

○ a clear, often uncomfortable, assessment of
○ your personal strengths, weaknesses and
○ preferences and their possible impact on
decisions you may make.
Critical thinking and problem solving
● If critical thinking is conceived broadly to cover

any careful thinking about any topic for any
purpose, then problem solving and decision
making will be kinds of critical thinking, if they
are done carefully.
problem-solving ...
● Courses of action you might take when using
critical thinking for problem-solving at work:
○ Identify a problem or issue.
○ Create inferences on why the problem exists
and how it can be solved.
○ Collect information or data on the issue
through research.
○ Organize and sort data and findings.
○ Develop and execute solutions.
○ Analyze what solutions worked or didn’t work.
○ Identify ways to improve the solution.
problem-solving ...
● Being objective is a fundamental part of critical
thinking.
That means analyzing the problem without

allowing personal bias, emotions or assumptions
to influence how you think about it.
Instead, a strong critical thinker will only analyze

the problem based on the context and facts
collected after conducting thorough and
impartial research.
Parts of Critical Thinking
● Critical thinking involves three parts.
○ Asking questions.
○ Trying to answer those questions by reasoning
them out.
○ Believing the results of our reasoning.
Parts of CT …
● Asking Questions
○ Thinking critically, begins with asking questions
about the problem and about ways to address it:
 “How can I best solve this problem?”
 What are some alternative ways of solving the problem
assigned?
 What is a good way to begin?
 Do I have all the information I need to start solving the
problem?
 What is the purpose behind the problem?
 Can the problem be solved? Does it even make sense?
○ All of these questions are relevant when a
problem is assigned.
Parts of CT …
● Reasoning It Out
○ It requires approaching the question:
 in a different way and
 with a different spirit.
○ It is the spirit of genuinely wanting to figure
out a clear, accurate answer to a question
that is important to you.
Parts of CT …
● Reasoning It Out might begin with:

○ rethinking the question and then
○ reformulating it in a more neutral and
productive way:
 “What are the main causes of my problems.
 what are some good ways to begin dealing
with them?”
Parts of CT …
● Believing the Results

○ Critical thinking, in the fullest sense, results in
belief.
○ Believing the results is a rough test or measure
of the completeness of your critical thinking.
○ If you have reasoned something out and come
to a conclusion but find you still don’t really

believe it, that indicates the reasoning is
probably not complete. 36
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So, how do you become a critical
thinker?
Critical Thinking
Skill in the
Workplace
38
Critical Thinking Skill
1. Observation
● People who are observant can quickly sense and
identify a new problem.
● This skill helps to understanding why something
might be a problem.
● even you can able to predict when a problem
might occur before it happens based on your
experience.
Skill ...
● Improving your Observation skills by:

○ slowing down your pace of processing
information and
○ training yourself to pay closer attention to your
surroundings.
○ You might practice
— mindfulness techniques, journaling or actively
listening during and outside of work to thoroughly
examine what you’re hearing or seeing.
Skill ...
2. Analysis
● Once a problem has been identified, analysis
skills become essential.
● The ability to analyze and effectively evaluate a
situation involves knowing what facts, data or
information about the problem are important.
● This often includes:
○ gathering unbiased research,
○ asking relevant questions about the data to
ensure it’s accuracy and
○ assessing the findings objectively.
Skill ...
● Improving your analytical skills by:

○ taking on new experiences.
For example,
○ you might read a book about a concept you’re
unfamiliar with or
○ take an online math class to push yourself to
think in new ways and consider new ideas.
Skill ...
3. Inference
● Inference is a skill that involves drawing
conclusions about the information you collect and
● may require you to possess technical or industry-

specific knowledge or experience.
● When you make an inference, that means you are

developing answers based on limited information.
Skill ...
● Improving your inference skills by:

○ placing focus on making an educated guess
rather than quickly drawing conclusions.
○ This requires slowing down to look for as many
clues as possible:
—such as images, data or reports
—that might help you evaluate a situation.
○ Carefully consider all the pieces of the puzzle
together before making a decision.
Skill ...
4. Communication
● Communication skills are important when it
comes time to explain and discuss issues and
their possible solutions with colleagues and other
stakeholders.
Skill ...
● Improving your communication skills by:

○ engaging in difficult discussions,
○ Maintain good communication habits like:
— active listening and
— respect to try to understand their
perspective and explain your ideas in a
calm, rational manner.
Skill ...
5. Problem-solving
● After you’ve explored possible remedies, the final
step is to execute the solution.
● Problem-solving often requires critical thinking:

○ to implement the best solution and
○ understand whether or not the solution is
working as it relates to the goal.
Skill ...
● Improving your problem-solving skills by:
○ setting goals to acquire more industry
knowledge within your field.
It becomes easier if you have a strong
understanding of industry-specific
information.
○ It can also be helpful to observe how others
around you solve problems at work
take note of their techniques and ask
questions about their process.
Critical Thinking in Your Life
● Personal Life
○ What constitutes a healthy diet?
○ Which investment is better for my family? Why?
● Professional Life
○ In what ways can we improve our product?
○ How do the actions of our company affect others? The
environment?
● Academic Life
○ What are the main points of this text?
○ Which major should I choose…why?
● Spiritual Life
○ How do these teachings apply to my life?
○ Are there contradictions in what is being said?
Bloom’s taxonomy
Critical Thinking Skills
Create
Evaluate
Analyze
Apply
Understand
Remember
Critical Thinkers
Acknowledge personal limitations.
See problems as exciting challenges.
Have understanding as a goal.
Use evidence to make judgments.
Are interested in others’ ideas.
Are skeptical of extreme views.
Think before acting.
Avoid emotionalism
Keep an open mind
Don’t think
Uncritical Thinkers about it, just
sign it!
Pretend to know more than they do.
Get annoyed/irritated by problems.
Are impatient or intolerant.
Judge on first impressions and intuition.
Focus on their own opinions.
Look only for ideas like their own.
Are guided by feelings rather than thoughts.
Claim that thinking gives them a headache.
Nurture Your Own Creativity
● Don’t accept other people’s blueprints.
● Be vigilant/watchful about what others can’t see.
● Differentiate the good from the bad.
● Take the plunge before you’re an expert. (Make experience)
● Concentrate on the big picture.
● Take sensible risks.
● Motivate yourself from inside.
● Shape environments that will support your creativity.
● Actively pursue your creative life.
53
አመሰግናለሁ!
Any questions?
 Read Books & Develop yourself
 Get these Special Training  Basic Skills training
 Motivational training  Leadership Introduction
 Positive attitude  Creative Decision Making
 Time Management  Change Management
 Live your Dreams  Basic & Advanced Leadership
 Personal Development Skills
 etc.  Communication
 Entrepreneurship
 Marketing
Tefera Muluneh
 Employee Motivation
Certified Management Consultant
 Leadership Development
0911-718442
 Service Delivery &
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Customer Handling
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etc.
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Critical thinking

A Training for the senior experts of Addis

● Do you think that these naturally good thinkers

● Or do you think that you could ever learn to think

Telegram: https://t.me/Vision224 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tefera.m24/2

● The fact is that almost anyone can learn to think

● However, good thinking is hard work.

Telegram: https://t.me/Vision224 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tefera.m24/3

● why Critical Thinking?

Discuss for 10 minutes in a group of 2or 3

Telegram: https://t.me/Vision224 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tefera.m24/4

● Shoddy thinking is costly, both in money and in

● Excellence in thought, however, must be

Telegram: https://t.me/Vision224 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tefera.m24/6

● Thinking critically will also help you to create

● Developing critical thinking skills will allow you to

Telegram: https://t.me/Vision224 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tefera.m24/8

Telegram: https://t.me/Vision224 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tefera.m24/9

Thinking is the way that the mind makes

There is no way to understand anything

● Words used interchangeably

In this sense, thinking is inclusive of imagining,

○ Suppose you are cooking, and you do not have all

○ If you start thinking creatively, you will begin to

● we can define critical thinking as the activity of

● This means that when we think critically, we

● “critical” in critical thinking refers to a healthy

● This means that critical thinkers do not simply

● Instead, critical thinkers check the sources of

It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone to

● Critical thinking is:

● Critical thinking is aimed at achieving the best

● Critical thinking requires:

● If critical thinking is conceived broadly to cover

That means analyzing the problem without

Instead, a strong critical thinker will only analyze

● Reasoning It Out might begin with:

● Believing the Results

to a conclusion but find you still don’t really

● Improving your Observation skills by:

● Improving your analytical skills by:

● may require you to possess technical or industry-

● When you make an inference, that means you are

● Improving your inference skills by:

● Improving your communication skills by:

● Problem-solving often requires critical thinking:

working as it relates to the goal.

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