Analytical and Structured Thinking Skill and Framework

Why select this training course?

Analytical and structured thinking immensely benefits professionals in today’s business environment. In today’s corporate environments, companies are frequently searching for professionals with excellent innovative and structured thinking skills to resolve issues facing the actualization of the company’s objectives and goals. These skills assist them in boosting creativity, thinking outside the box, and communicating effectively.

What are the ways you can use to improve your analytical thinking skills?

Analytical thinking is a critical aspect of today’s working environment, and having an excellent skillset will go a long way in one’s career. Learning how to analyze complex situations applies to every aspect of life. Employers seek personnel who can gather data and evaluate complex workplace situations to make rational decisions. One can use various ways to boost their analytical thinking skills, such as mastering observation, reading more, keeping a journal, asking questions, solving complex problems, and building mathematical skills.

What tools are used in improving structured thinking?

Structured thinking is a process of using a framework to resolve an unstructured problem. Developing a structure assists an analyst in understanding the problem on a macro level and how to recognize the various aspects of the problem to gain a deeper understanding of it. Structured thinking assists employees by lowering time spent on projects and lower iterations. The various tools used by analysts to improve structured thinking include designing an idea dataset, understanding the roots of the problem, practicing back-of-the-envelope calculations, using notes or documents to conduct meetings, and a whiteboard for brainstorming.

The Rcademy Analytical and Structured Thinking Skills and Framework Training Course is designed to equip participants with analytical and structured thinking skills and how to develop an analytical thinking framework. The course also covers the importance of structured thinking, its types, and how to integrate innovation and creativity into business administration. Focus is also given to various higher forms of thinking, techniques, and tools for analytical and structured thinking and how to make decisions based on analytics.

Who Should Attend?

The Rcademy Analytical and Structured Thinking Skills and Framework Training Course is designed for learners who want to understand the rudiments of analytical and structured thinking skill and their frameworks. Experts in critical and analytical thinking fields will also greatly benefit from this course. The following personnel should take the course:

• Economists: tasked with studying market activities, gathering and evaluating socioeconomic and financial data, and advising governments and businesses on economic decisions
• Financial analysts: charged with tracking a firm’s financial operations against an established plan, evaluating the market and business performances
• Auditors: responsible for monitoring cash flow and the accounts of an organization to ensure they are correctly recorded and processed
• Business analysts: charged with performing market analyses, evaluating product lines, and the general profitability of a business
• Criminologists: responsible for examining every aspect of crime to discover ways to solve and prevent criminal activities
• Cyber security analysts: are tasked with protecting a firm’s software, networks, and hardware from cyber-attacks from criminals and hackers.
• Software engineers: responsible for applying engineering principles to software development, evaluating and conducting critical analysis, and modifying existing software
• Data engineers: charged with building systems that manage, gather and transform raw data into valuable information for business analysts and data scientists
• Accountants: responsible for making vital financial decisions by monitoring, collecting, and evaluating a firm’s finances
• Every other person interested in learning about the fundamentals of analytical and structured thinking skills and framework

What are the course objectives?

At the end of the Rcademy Analytical and Structured Thinking Skills and Framework training course, participants would have learned the following:

• Understand how analytical and structured thinking work
• Learn about the principles and skills employed in analytical and structured thinking
• Learn about the various levels of higher thinking
• Understand the different problem-solving processes and how to integrate innovation and creativity in workplaces
• Learn about the various ways organizations can instill a culture of analytical and structured thinking
• Recognize how to leverage left brain and right brain dominance
• Learn about the techniques and tools of analytical and structured thinking
• Learn how to design an analytical and structured thinking framework and how to deploy it
• Understand how to run a simple problem-solving process

How will this course be presented?

This training course is designed to fulfill the needs of participants while also improving their knowledge and skills in the field. This course will be presented using a variety of practical ways to ensure attendees’ active and continuous learning. Renowned experts and professionals will teach the course with years of work and experience. The course modules are also based on thorough research into the subject.

The Rcademy course on Analytical and Structured Thinking Skills and Framework integrates practical and theoretical learnings by providing attendees with cases, studies, lectures, slides on the concepts, and real-life scenarios. Participants will also engage in presentations, seminar workshops, quizzes, and regular feedback on lessons learned to confirm their optimum satisfaction.

What are the topics covered in this course?

Module 1: Introduction to Analytical and Structured Thinking

• Definition of terms
• Types of Analytical and structured thinking
• The structured thinking process
• Importance of analytical and structured thinking
• Steps involved in analytical thinking
• Principles of analytical thinking

Module 2: The Critical Thinking Framework

• The intellectual traits
• Features and attributes of a critical thinker
• Fundamentals of the Paul-Elder thinking framework
• Designing a structured thinking framework
• Elements of reasoning
• The intellectual standard

Module 3: Running an Analysis

• Asking the “so what” question
• Types of research
• Performing informational interviews
• Active listening
• Summary vs synthesis
• Primary research development
• Guided Dialogue
• Secondary informational interviews
• Sourcing for the correct data

Module 4: Introduction to Higher Levels of Thinking

• Essentials of Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Decision trees and the decision matrix
• Scenario and brainstorming analysis
• Using virtual reality and simulation prediction tools
• Conducting a simulated exercise for solution identification through analytical thinking

Module 5: Essentials of Analytical and Structured Thinking Techniques and Tools

• Mind maps
• Root cause analysis
• Practical foresight
• Cause and effect diagrams
• Using growth mindset
• Inductive reasoning
• Adequate prioritization
• The use cases of structured and analytical thinking tools and techniques

Module 6: Structuring Issues and Problems

• Designing an issue tree
• Using an issue statement
• The benefits of structuring
• Defining the correct issue
• Using logic trees in solving problems
• Dividing problems into manageable sections

Module 7: Applying Analysis Tools and Models

• Simulation tools
• Sketch planning tools
• Choosing an analysis model and tool
• Deterministic models
• Operation-based performance metrics

Module 8: Unleashing Innovation and Creativity

• Avoiding groupthink
• Exploring creativity
• Brainstorming options
• Employing convergent and divergent thinking
• Elements that stimulate creativity

Module 9: Converting Analysis and Creativity into Practice

• Recognizing challenges
• Recognizing and closing gaps
• Deploying analysis
• Analysis tools
• Recognizing probable causes
• Presenting descriptive statistics using graphs and writings
• Avoiding analysis paralysis

Module 10: Leveraging Thinking Styles

• Adaptability, learning styles, and Personality in the Workplace
• Implementing whole-brain thinking
• Learning how to leverage the left brain and right brain dominance
• Recognizing natural brain dominance

Module 11: Designing Decisions Using Analytics

• Avoiding biases
• Recognizing root causes from facts
• Analysis and pattern recognition
• Explaining scenarios and options
• Conducting a simulated case study for decision making