The Rewards of Critical Thinking: Developing the Right Mindset and Skills (Currently Unavailable)

Author: Susan Schmit

When we consider critical thinking in the accounting profession, we mean employing conscientious curiosity, healthy skepticism and informed judgment to evaluate evidence, guide decisions and solve problems. This requires a mindset that informs and guides our action, and provides a systematic approach to analyzing issues.

This program starts with a quick activity that will challenge your assumptions, followed by an exploration of the effect that healthy skepticism and conscientious curiosity can and should have on our thinking. We will review important critical thinking skills and introduce a problem-solving model and tools that can be applied to the workplace.

Publication Date: July 2014

Topics Covered

• The critical thinking mindset and the special importance of conscientious curiosity in professional accounting
• Four critical thinking skills
• A four-step problem solving and decision-making model
• Tools to guide problem solving
• Span of accountability: knowing when you can and can't make a difference

Learning Objectives

• Define what it means to have a critical thinking mindset
• Define and apply skills that promote critical thinking
• Recognize how critical thinking serves the broader context of problem-solving and decision-making
• Use a model to define the problem, analyze root causes, explore options and determine solutions
• Apply learning to on-the-job situations

Level
Basic

Instructional Method
Self-Study

NASBA Field of Study
Personnel/HR (2 hours)

Program Prerequisites
None

Advance Preparation
None