Why

Why Critical Thinking is THE skill requirement of the future

EQ, & Decision Making 101

Critical thinking is what intelligence tests fail to adequately measure [Stanovich, 2009]
Critical thinking is a better predictor of effective decision-making than IQ [The British Psychological Society]
Critical thinking is what converts intelligence into action. It’s the missing skill in SA where most people did not grow up with a C-suite parent [Chris Barker]
Critical thinking can be likened to mindfulness, with its focus on paying attention in a non-judgmental way, to experience the here and now [Vedanta]
In their "Future of Jobs Report" (2020), the WEF identified critical thinking as one of the top skills needed to thrive in the evolving job market for 2025. The reports highlight that as technology advances and the nature of work changes, skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity become increasingly important for success in the workforce. The WEF listed the top 10 skills for 2025 as follows (bold items are covered in our course): Analytical thinking and innovation, Active learning and learning strategies, Complex problem-solving, Critical thinking and analysis, Creativity, originality, and initiative, Leadership and social influence, Technology use, monitoring, and control, Technology design and programming, Resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility, Emotional intelligence

The problems you encounter in life stem not so much from what you don't know, but from what you incorrectly believe you know for sure
We make 100s of decisions each day that are likely to be influenced by our critical thinking ability. At the very least, we would expect critical thinkers to avoid certain negative life outcomes…
…In both the United States and the Republic of Ireland, those with higher critical thinking scores experienced fewer negative life events, than those with lower critical thinking scores [Butler et al. 2012]
Critical thinking is the key to creative problem-solving in business. [Richard Branson]
In a world that is constantly changing, there is no one subject or set of subjects that will serve you for the foreseeable future, nor any skill that will be a guarantor of success. What will matter most is your ability to think critically, adapt, and communicate [Fareed Zakaria]

CT is commonly defined as a metacognitive process, consisting of a number of sub-skills (analysis, evaluation, and inference) and dispositions (trustful of reason, willing to change one’s position), that, when used appropriately, increases the chances of producing a logical solution to a problem or a valid conclusion to an argument [Dwyer, Hogan & Stewart, 2014]
“Consultants take our watches and tell us the time”. Yes, but we find the most correct watch, and prove it in a way that the CEO believes us

Our schools have never been good at teaching Critical Thinking...we focus on memorisation.
Consulting firms typically hire Engineers and Actuaries, as these are the only two degrees that inherently require logical problem solving.
SA managers struggle to break through to executive roles, and we find (in our executive coaching) that invariably, Critical Thinking is the missing skill that opens this door for them.
Critical Thinking (the FutureForesight way) drives extreme creativity and innovation. Our course teaches how pure logic can be framed to guarantee creative solutions.
Corporates gain from a suite of employee skill improvements:
- Problem solving covering all options
- Better (and cogent) decision making
- Adaptability and preparadness
- Innovation and creativity
- Effective communication
- Risk anticipation and management
- Structured mentorship abilities

Why: Services