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Think Clearly. Plan Logically. Achieve Your Goals.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Training 1 day

Everyone in business who wants to solve problems and achieve goals, must learn to think logically, because error-free thinking, speaking and acting is the only way to achieve anything.

Available as live online training via Microsoft Teams, or as bespoke in-house training tailored to your organisation.

★★★★★
"The course content was great, so helpful, giving me new skills and how to plan to succeed. The trainer explained very well, clear and concise with good advice and training I will not forget." - Charlotte Oates, British Friendly Society
Quality Training
Established 1997
6 CPD Hours
Delivery Options Upcoming Dates

Course Overview

What is Critical Thinking and Problem Solving?

This course is itself highly systematic and logical in its construction, because the method of teaching mirrors the method being taught. We begin with clear definitions: what is critical thinking? What is logic? Why do emotionally driven or assumption-based approaches to problem solving reliably fail in real-world business situations?

The morning session focuses on the diagnostic side of critical thinking. We identify the most common errors of thinking that most people commit, most of the time, and examine why acting on false ideas guarantees failure. Delegates assess their own habitual thinking patterns and bring to conscious awareness how embedded those errors have become.

The afternoon shifts to the constructive side of the course. We teach three types of correct thinking: inductive logic, deductive logic, and creative logic. The course concludes by showing how to combine all four factors, including error detection, into a single, coherent system for thinking, speaking, writing and acting in ways that maximise the probability of success.

Core Skills

The Key Skills Covered

This course develops five complementary thinking skills that together constitute a complete, practical system for achieving goals through sound, logical reasoning.

  1. 1

    Error Detection and Elimination

    Become conscious of the most common errors of thinking, including relying on majority opinion, gut-feel guesses or emotionally driven assumptions. Eliminating faulty reasoning is the essential first step, because no amount of effort applied to a false premise will produce success.

  2. 2

    Inductive Logic

    See patterns buried within facts and draw from those patterns valid general conclusions or principles. Inductive logic builds knowledge upward from specific observations to broader understanding, enabling better predictions and more reliable generalisations.

  3. 3

    Deductive Logic

    Apply a known general principle to a new set of facts to reach a sound conclusion, or explain a set of facts by reference to an already established principle. Deductive logic is the complement of inductive logic and together they form the backbone of rational analysis.

  4. 4

    Creative Logic

    Use the imagination to find new ways to combine existing facts, explore novel lines of reasoning and generate original solutions. Creative logic is disciplined creativity: it works within the constraints of reality rather than against them, producing ideas that are both original and achievable.

  5. 5

    Logical Planning and Goal Achievement

    Combine error detection with inductive, deductive and creative logic to produce a unified system for thinking, speaking, writing and acting. A logically sound plan is the only reliable vehicle for achieving a predetermined goal; this course shows you how to build one.

Who Is This Course For?

Who Should Attend This Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Course?

Designed for anyone in business who needs to think more clearly, solve problems at the root and build plans that actually work.

Business Leaders and Directors

Make better strategic decisions by replacing assumption-driven thinking with structured, logical analysis.

Managers and Team Leaders

Identify the true cause of problems and construct coherent plans rather than addressing symptoms repeatedly.

Problem Solvers and Analysts

Develop a rigorous, repeatable thinking framework that produces reliable conclusions from complex information.

Anyone Seeking Greater Clarity

Gain the confidence that comes from knowing your thinking is sound, your plans are logical and your goals are achievable.

Also highly valuable for technical specialists dealing with complex analytical challenges, project managers who need to diagnose and resolve problems quickly, and aspiring leaders who want to build a reputation for sound, evidence-based judgement.

Course Agenda

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Course Details

AM

Morning Session • Definitions, error detection and the foundations of logical thinking

Establish a clear understanding of what critical thinking and logic actually are, examine why irrational thinking reliably fails, and bring to conscious awareness the common errors of thought that most people commit without realising it.

We open with a working definition: critical thinking is the disciplined process of actively and skilfully analysing, evaluating and constructing information in order to reach conclusions that correspond to reality. It is not scepticism for its own sake; it is the systematic elimination of unreliable reasoning and its replacement with sound, evidence-based thought. We examine why this skill is indispensable for anyone responsible for solving problems and achieving goals in a business context.
Logic is the study of correct reasoning: the principles and methods that distinguish valid arguments from invalid ones. We cover the two fundamental laws of logic that underpin all sound thinking: the law of identity (a thing is what it is) and the law of non-contradiction (a thing cannot both be and not be at the same time). Understanding these laws is not merely academic; they provide the foundation for every practical decision-making and problem-solving tool taught on this course.
Acting on false ideas guarantees failure, because success requires that your thinking corresponds to reality. We examine why emotionally driven, assumption-based or socially pressured thinking so frequently produces poor outcomes, and trace the mechanism by which incorrect premises lead to incorrect conclusions, which lead to actions that do not achieve their intended results. This section is deliberately uncomfortable for many delegates, because it requires honest examination of habitual thinking that has never been questioned.
Every event has a cause, and every cause produces an effect. Understanding cause and effect is the basis of all problem solving: to solve a problem you must identify its true cause, not its symptoms, and address that cause directly. We examine how the failure to distinguish between cause, effect and coincidence is one of the most persistent and costly errors in business decision-making, and introduce a structured approach to causal analysis that prevents the common mistake of treating effects as though they were causes.
Natural laws are the reliable patterns in the way the world works: principles that hold true regardless of opinion, preference or circumstance. We examine how an understanding of natural law, including the principle that actions produce predictable consequences, enables far more reliable planning than approaches based on hope, intuition or precedent alone. Recognising which natural laws are relevant to a given situation is a core competence of critical thinkers.
We identify and analyse the most prevalent errors of thinking found in business environments: appealing to majority opinion (assuming that what most people believe must be true); relying on gut feel without evidence; confusing correlation with causation; using emotional language in place of factual argument; and committing the sunk-cost fallacy (continuing to invest in something purely because of what has already been spent). Delegates examine which of these errors they are most prone to, and leave with practical safeguards against each one.
PM

Afternoon Session • Inductive, deductive and creative logic — building a complete thinking system

Move from error detection to constructive reasoning: learn the three types of correct thinking and how to combine them with error detection into a single, unified system for planning and problem solving.

Inductive logic is the process of observing specific facts and drawing from them a valid general conclusion or principle. It is how scientists form hypotheses, how detectives identify suspects and how experienced managers recognise patterns that others miss. We cover the rules that determine when an inductive conclusion is warranted and when it is an over-generalisation, including how many instances are required, how representative those instances must be, and how to test a provisional conclusion before committing to it.
Deductive logic works in the opposite direction to inductive logic: it takes a known general principle and applies it to a new set of specific facts to produce a conclusion. A valid deductive argument is one in which, if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true. We work through the structure of deductive arguments, examine common forms of deductive error (invalid syllogisms, false premises presented as established fact), and practise applying deductive reasoning to realistic business problems.
Creative logic is the disciplined use of imagination: it seeks new ways to combine existing facts, explores novel lines of connection and generates original solutions that neither pure induction nor pure deduction would produce alone. Far from being in conflict with logic, creativity at its most productive is an extension of it. We examine the conditions that stimulate creative thinking and the mental habits that suppress it, and introduce structured techniques for generating and evaluating creative solutions within a logical framework.
Creative thinking is not a fixed trait; it is a skill that can be developed with the right techniques and conditions. We cover four practical methods for stimulating the creative imagination: deliberate analogy (asking what a similar problem in a different field looks like and what solutions were found there); assumption reversal (listing the assumptions underlying a problem and asking what happens if each one is false); random stimulation (using an unrelated concept as a starting point for new associations); and structured brainstorming (generating a high volume of ideas without evaluation before applying critical filters).
The course concludes by showing how error detection, inductive logic, deductive logic and creative logic work together as an integrated system. No single thinking style is sufficient on its own: error detection without construction produces paralysis; creative thinking without deductive rigour produces ideas that cannot be implemented; inductive logic without creative thinking produces incremental rather than breakthrough solutions. We work through a complete problem-solving sequence that draws on all four styles in their appropriate sequence, and each delegate applies the system to a real challenge they are currently facing.

Availability and Pricing

Delivery Options

Choose the delivery format that best fits your schedule and team.

All options deliver the same high-quality content.

Online Live Training

£350 +VAT

per delegate

Interactive live sessions delivered via Teams using our superior green-screen technology.

  • Same content as face-to-face
  • Learn from home or office
  • Delivered via MS Teams
  • Laptop or tablet with webcam
View Online Dates

Bespoke In-House

£2250 +VAT

per training day

We come to you. Training delivered at your premises, tailored to your team's specific needs.

  • Your premises or online
  • Tailored to your organisation
  • Dates to suit your schedule
  • We can train in your timezone
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All Our Training Includes

Full 1 day of expert training delivered by an experienced trainer
CPD-endorsed course: 6 CPD training hours (plus 2-3 additional hours via post-course online learning)
Full digital interactive course notes
Official training certificate
Access to free additional training material via our post-course portal
3 months of free telephone coaching while you implement your learning

Questions? Call 020 3856 3037 or 01452 856091

Upcoming Dates

Next Available Course Dates

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No upcoming dates are currently listed.
Please get in touch to enquire about availability.

Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Course FAQs

You can book directly online via our course dates page, call us on 020 3856 3037, or make an enquiry and we will call you back. We accept payment by BACS, cheque or credit card. Once booked, you will receive a confirmation email with full joining instructions.
Yes. We can deliver this course exclusively for your team at your premises or online, on dates to suit you. Bespoke in-house training is priced per day rather than per delegate, making it cost-effective for groups of four or more. We can also tailor the content to address your organisation's specific challenges.
The course covers five core areas: (1) definitions of critical thinking and logic, and why irrational methods reliably fail; (2) common errors of thinking, including majority-opinion fallacies, gut-feel guesses and confusing correlation with causation; (3) inductive logic, the process of drawing valid general conclusions from specific observations; (4) deductive logic, the application of known principles to new facts; and (5) creative logic, the disciplined use of imagination to generate original solutions. The final session shows how to combine all four thinking styles into a unified problem-solving system.
Inductive logic moves from specific observations to a general conclusion or principle. For example, observing that every sales team with a written weekly plan consistently outperforms those without one leads inductively to the principle that written planning improves team performance. Deductive logic works in the opposite direction: it takes a known general principle and applies it to a specific situation to produce a conclusion. For example, knowing that written planning improves performance, you deduce that introducing it to a struggling team is likely to produce improvement. Both types of reasoning are essential, and this course teaches you to use them together.
Yes, the training is highly interactive. Sessions include group discussions, exercises, case studies and individual action planning. The trainer actively teaches expert content rather than simply facilitating discussion, so delegates leave with structured knowledge they can apply immediately. The style is engaging and practical throughout.
Delegates come from a wide range of roles and sectors: business leaders who need to make better strategic decisions, managers who want to solve problems at the root rather than treating symptoms repeatedly, project managers dealing with complex analytical challenges, and professionals at all levels who want to think more clearly and communicate more persuasively. The course is equally valuable whether you have a background in analytical work or have never formally studied logic before; it starts from first principles and progresses systematically.
Open courses run from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Delegates are welcome to arrive from 8:45 am; tea and coffee are available from that time. The course includes mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks plus a lunch break.

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On This Page

  1. 1 Course Overview
  2. 2 Key Skills
  3. 3 Who Should Attend
  4. 4 Course Agenda
  5. 5 Delivery Options
  6. 6 Upcoming Dates
  7. 7 FAQs

Book This Course

Online Live Training £350 +VAT
Bespoke In-House £2250 +VAT/day
Book Open Course Enquire About In-House

Questions? Call us on

020 3856 3037
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Customer Reviews

What Delegates Say About This Course

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Read Our Customer Reviews
★★★★★

"Although I was cynical prior to the course, I found the course very rewarding and informative. An interesting two days, of great value. The trainer's presentation was exceptionally good."

Tony Morris

British International Helicopter Services Limited

★★★★★

"The course content was very relevant and adaptable to working life to enhance and improve management and in turn a strong team and higher level output. The trainer's presentation was concise, structured and well planned. Scenarios and examples helped to understand putting this into practise and how I would use this."

Rachel Fox

Centreplate UK Ltd

★★★★★

"This course was not my choice, my company put me on it, so I was cynic! The course changed my view and I realised why I had been asked to attend. I took away a lot of positives from the course which I will take forward in my work and personal life. The trainer's presentation was fab, very positive and kept you at ease. "

Angela Mayes

CEG

Related Reading

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  • Five Important Problem-Solving Questions

    Master problem solving with five questions: check facts, define the gap, write a plan, act on first steps, then repeat for ongoing improvement and results.

  • Unlocking the Power of First Principles

    Learn why first principles thinking beats shifting facts, helps you validate opinions, spark ideas and make better decisions that stay sound as the worldchanges

Ready to Think More Clearly?

Enrol on our next open course, join a live online session from anywhere in the UK, or speak to us about tailored in-house delivery for your team.

Book Open Course Enquire about In-House

Or speak to a member of our team directly:

020 3856 3037 01452 856091