Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving: In-House Training Two critical skillsets for the future of work are critical thinking and creative problem solving. These modes of working and thinking intersect and overlap; both are necessary and both can be taught. Having the ability to exercise creativity while at the same time applying structure and discipline to the thinking process is a key competency in the twenty-first century workplace. This course explores the interplay between critical and creative thinking, and the necessity of each to effective problem solving and decision making. Participants will learn a variety of techniques to apply critical thinking to real-life scenarios. They will experiment with different problem-solving approaches and will learn about cognitive influences on our decisions and choices. The course delves into the business value of creativity and involves participants in actively integrating criticality, creativity, and problem solving. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Explain basic concepts of problem solving Infer types of cognitive biases that impact decision making Utilize types of root cause analysis Differentiate among obstacles to sound decision making Apply a variety of problem-solving approaches / processes to existing challenges Evaluate alternative solution methods using various techniques Analyze real world problem scenarios to determine the lateral thinking type needed to address them Foundation Concepts Definitions Thinking modes and cognitive bias Basic problem-solving framework Problem Definition and Solution Generation Root cause analysis Basic problem-solving obstacles Generating alternative solutions Evaluating Alternatives Critical thinking guidelines Obstacles to sound decision making Tools for evaluating alternatives Exploring Lateral Thinking Problem-solving challenge Workplace application
If you want your employees to improve their customer service skills and deliver an amazing experience to your customers, feel free to check out my Training course focusing on the core values of customer service.
Stress, self-care, and wellbeing conversation starters. This is a short 2-hour session to provide learners with tools to take better care of themselves, have the confidence to discuss mental wellbeing and know where to find tools and resources for assistance.
All organisations today operate in an environment of constant and rapid change. Managing this change effectively is often achieved through a portfolio of formal projects. Many organisations today have qualified and experienced project management staff to run their projects. Some organisations today have dedicated functions, staff or processes to support their project management teams. The very largest organisations have in-house Enterprise Programme Offices, or project management specialists in corporate audit or risk functions; or organise 'Red Team Reviews' of a project by other staff with project management experience who are not participating in the reviewed project. But for many mid-size businesses and SMEs - and even some larger organisations - these resources are simply not available. For them, having access to external expertise to assure project management disciplines and to coach project managers can be a major contributor to project success. Such reviews can take place at project initiation; at major stage-gates (especially if significant capital is to be committed at the stage-gate); or at any other time if concerns arise concerning project quality, cost or timescales. And it is for those organisations that we offer the necessary expertise, on an ad hoc basis, in reviewing projects and coaching senior project management staff. A document review and workshop led by one of our consultants can help you assess whether: The strategic goals and priorities for the project are clear and being addressed Governance of the project within the business is defined and being effectively executed Project roles and responsibilities are clear and effective The credibility and robustness of the project plan can be enhanced Performance measures and reporting procedures are effective Critical risks are identified and being managed and contingencies are agreed The roles, responsibilities and capabilities of the key players in the project team are fit for purpose Budgets are realistic and costs being managed effectively Communication and change management activities are effectively planned and being executed At your discretion, you can capture the outcomes from the workshop for yourselves, in terms of identifying opportunities for improvement, or you can have our consultant write a report and make recommendations to you.
This one day course provides an excellent introduction to managing and supervising volunteers covering the skills, paperwork and processes needed to recruit, induct and support them. The course can be expanded to run as a series of half day sessions and can also be adapted to the specific needs of organisations who would like the session to be run in-house.
CSIE staff and our associate trainers are knowledgeable and experienced in delivering talks and facilitating training for teachers, learning supporters, local authority officers, other professionals involved in young people’s education, parents and students. Our training is routinely praised for the level of interest and engagement it evokes, its positive and constructive impact, the clarity with which even complex issues are presented and the supportive manner in which participants are encouraged to examine their own beliefs and assumptions. CSIE training is competitively priced and offers excellent value for money. How CSIE can help your setting We can support the work of: schools, by providing speakers for assemblies, staff meetings and Continuing Professional Development days, as well as working with staff towards inclusive school development; universities, by delivering talks for undergraduate or postgraduate students, contributing to conferences (keynote address, panel discussion or other presentations), as well as working with staff towards the development of a more inclusive institution; local authorities, by facilitating Continuing Professional Development events, as well as working with staff towards the development of more inclusive education in the locality; central government in the UK and abroad, by working with relevant officers at national level towards the development of more inclusive education. CSIE is a registered charity heavily reliant on income generated from selling our resources and services. Our current rates for the above activities are: Half day rate £500 Whole day rate £800 All rates are subject to VAT; travel and subsistence expenses may also be charged. Special rates may be offered to smaller or voluntary sector organisations; please contact the CSIE office. Whether you want someone to talk to children and young people, to conference delegates or government officials, please email us at admin@csie.org.uk or click on the "Request Now" button to make an enquiry. Someone from CSIE will contact you within five working days to discuss how we can best respond to your request. Thank you for your interest in inclusive education and in CSIE.
We will come to your school at a time that suits you and run a 2-hour workshop for all staff. We will present in clear and simple terms the school’s duties under the Equality Act, help you guard against discrimination, and leave you with useful resources. How will this workshop help your school? This is a practical, "hands on" workshop designed to be engaging and constructive. Over and above helping your school fulfil its legal duties, it will help ensure that nobody is left behind or discriminated against. The workshop will show how all protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010 can be reflected positively in everyday school life. It will consider real-life examples and make this more meaningful and relevant by inviting participants to bring their own examples of equality challenges in school. We will show you how to get the best out of CSIE’s toolkit ‘Equality: Making It Happen’ – a succinct and user-friendly set of reference cards to help schools promote equality – and leave you with at least two complimentary copies. Above all, the workshop will help develop a shared understanding and build a consistent response to diversity and equality. We understand that all schools are at different stages of this journey, so this workshop will assist you in determining next steps and areas of specific focus for your setting. What will the workshop cover? The workshop will: provide an overview of the Equality Act 2010, including the Public Sector Equality Duty and what it means for all schools bring awareness to unconscious bias and how it can influence our interactions present strategies for removing barriers to learning and participation address intersectionality and how it affects people’s experiences help develop confidence and language for discussing sensitive equality issues add flesh to the bones of all the above, by considering real-life examples Who is it for? The workshop has been designed for all primary and secondary school staff and governors; delivery is adjusted to the context of each school. We encourage all teaching and non-teaching staff to attend, so that your school can develop a coherent and consistent response to diversity and equality. Feedback from previous CSIE equality workshops: Very knowledgeable presenter. I feel more empowered. Clear and concise. Very thought provoking. Clear, compassionate presentation.
Excel but different. Harness this most powerful tool but on a course tailored to your business and needs. Using case studies relevant to your business and often actual files your firm uses on a daily basis we embark on a voyage of discovery. This isn't a boring "watch what I do and copy" course. This is exciting, engaging, funny and enjoyable. Delegates will learn relevant skills but also, because of the delivery methods they will gain an increased enjoyment of using Excel and will retain and implement all of the material covered. They also have access to the trainer for an unlimited amount of time after the course to continue to grow their knowledge
Excel but different. Harness this most powerful tool but on a course tailored to your business and needs. Using case studies relevant to your business and often actual files your firm uses on a daily basis we embark on a voyage of discovery. This isn't a boring "watch what I do and copy" course. This is exciting, engaging, funny and enjoyable. Delegates will learn relevant skills but also, because of the delivery methods they will gain an increased enjoyment of using Excel and will retain and implement all of the material covered. They also have access to the trainer for an unlimited amount of time after the course to continue to grow their knowledge
Mental Health "First Aid" Training