• Define analytical thinking and its importance for professionals
• Identify the key steps and techniques of analytical thinking
• Recognize the common challenges and biases that affect analytical thinking
• Practice various strategies to overcome these challenges and biases, and improve your analytical thinking skills
• Apply your analytical thinking skills to various decision-making situations.

This course is designed for professionals who want to improve their analytical thinking and decision making skills and enhance their performance in various domains. The course is suitable for professionals from any industry or sector, who face various problems and decisions in their roles.

Day One:

Introduction to Analytical Thinking

• Introduction to the course: objectives, expectations, agenda
• What is analytical thinking? Definition, history, models
• Why is analytical thinking important for professionals? Benefits, challenges, examples
• Self-assessment: How good are your analytical thinking skills?

Day Two:

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

• What are the key steps of critical thinking and problem-solving? Define the problem, gather evidence, evaluate evidence, synthesize information, communicate findings
• How can you use various techniques to perform each step? Problem statement, data collection, data analysis, data visualization, data presentation
• How can you use various tools to support each step? Software tools, frameworks, methods, models
• Exercise: Apply critical thinking and problem-solving techniques to a case study

Day Three:

• What is evidence? Definition, types, sources
• Why is evidence important for analytical thinking? Relevance, reliability, validity
• How can you assess the quality of evidence? Criteria, standards, indicators
• How can you avoid or minimize errors in evidence? Quality control, quality assurance, quality improvement
• Quiz: Test your understanding and evaluation of evidence

Day Four:

Synthesizing Information and Evidence

• What is synthesis? Definition, types, purposes
• Why is synthesis important for analytical thinking? Integration, interpretation, implication
• How can you perform synthesis effectively? Techniques, such as comparison, contrast, classification, generalization, abstraction
• How can you use synthesis to generate insights and solutions? Techniques, such as inference, deduction, induction, abduction
• Case study: Perform synthesis on a given set of information and evidence

Day Five:

Communicating Evidence-Based Findings

• What is communication? Definition, types, modes
• Why is communication important for analytical thinking? Persuasion, influence, action
• How can you communicate effectively with different audiences? Techniques, such as tailoring, framing, storytelling
• How can you communicate effectively in different formats? Techniques, such as writing, speaking, visualizing
• Feedback: Evaluate your communication skills based on a given scenario

To enhance learning and practical application of concepts, the training course will use a combination of interactive lectures, case studies, group discussions, practical exercises, and real-world examples. Participants will also get the chance to collaborate on group projects and create action plans adapted to the needs of their respective organizations.