CRITICAL THINKING

DEBATING SOPHISTICATING
- Argumentation, giving opinion - It is a deliberate violation of
based on the truth and evidence general accepted rules
- To share point of view with logical - It is a wrong way in giving reasons,
and nature arguments in the spitit of ambiguous explanations, illogical
receiving opinions and comments and wrong illogical and wrong
from other sides categories
- It is a sharp weapon to protect - Sophisticating in order to cover the
legitimate views, arguments and wrong points and to cheat people
opinions

 Definition: Critical thinking is a process of applying positive thinking in analyzing,

synthesizing, evaluating the facts, trends, ideas, hypotheses from self-observation,
self-experience, real evidences, real information and knowledge in order to
formalize the logical arguments
 Practicing critical thinking:
1. No bias, not accept the useless value of opinions
2. Always consider the evidence. Do not agree anything if there is no reason and
not true
3. Try to look everything in the right way
4. Welcome the open-mind spirit
5. Ready to reject any hypothesis if it is not fully proved
6. Adapting to new trends with careful considerations
 Wrong things in critical thinking:
1. Lazy thinking, lazy brainstorming
2. Be selfish. Not aware of self-limitations
3. Limited vision, especially in short-term benefits
4. Always keeping prejudice and jealousy
5. Not be honest with yourself and cheating
6. Conservative and untrustworthy life
7. Thinking by the other’s heads

PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL

 What is “problem”?
+ Problem is a difficult thing that needs a satisfactory answer or a clear solution
+ Problem is the difference between existing and desired status or condition
+ In an organization, problem is the opportunity for everyone to develop themselves
 Types of problem in the working environment:
- The wrong problem: It need to be ADJUSTED
 + Machine or equipment corruption
+ Material has not received
+ We have sick people in our team
+ Difficulty in working environment or human resources
- The latent problem: It need to be PREVENTED
+ The conflict among members
+ The suddenly increasing of demands that makes hard to meet
+ The increasing of withdraw employees
- The improving problem: It need more IMPROVED, EFFECTIVE
+ Leveraging services, products, equipment ...
+ Install a new system
+ Educate new skills for employees
+ Change working processes to meet new standards
 Effective problem solving, it is needed:
- Creating the environment, with: joyful, safe, positive, proactive
- Positive behavior with: yourself, everyone.
 Problem sovling process:
Step 1: Identify clearly the problem
+ Read carefully, investigate the root causes of problem to see its scope as well as
the severe of problem.
+ Discuss together, give evidences for illustrating personal opinions relating to the
problem
+ Everyone in the group/organization agrees working together with the problem
Step 2: Focus on the targeted problem
+ State the problem clearly and be accepted by everyone
+ Give evidences relating to the problem that the group wants to solve
+ Introduce the person responsible for presenting or representing the group about
the solving problem.
Step 3: Analyze the problem
+ Gather all information, resources that are relevant to the problem + Consider the
problem with comprehensively
+ Focus on each detail to see the root causes of problem
Step 4: Create more alternatives
+ Encourage everyone in co-operating based on solving the root causes of problem
+ Deliver the ideas, provide solutions that are feasible, realistic with the main
content of problem. Setting up priority for solutions.
+ Effective solutions are often based on available resources or in coordination.
Step 5: Make decision with the best choices
+ Gather opinions, ideas from individuals in the group
+ Select the most realistic, possible solutions for problem solving
+ Selected solutions need to have high agreement
Step 6: Implement action plans
+ Basing on selected and agreed solutions for establishing future plans
+ Planning with systematic tasks, goals, steps, time schedules, resources in order to
apply solutions into the right condition + Making the final decisions
 6 common mistakes in problem sovling:
1. Misunderstand the problem
2. Not focus on the targeted problem
3. Only solve with the face problems
4. Not creating more options
5. Not evaluating appreciate all risks
6. The solution is not feasible
The analizing problem skill:
 Determine the root causes:
- Why do we need to analyzing the root causes?
+ To understand clearly the problem
+ To find out the root of problem
+ To discover the symptoms of problem
- What are the benefits whrn analyzing the root cause?
+ To sovle the problem definitively
+ To learn the experience and avoid to repeating mistakes
+ To have lessons facing twith similar situations
 The ishikawa diagram:

 Using effective questions:

- Use the right questions with suitable situations and contexts
- The frequently questions: 5W (who, what, where, when, why)-1H; YES-NO
questions
- Ask until you find the root cause
- Combine questions together to create the most effective
- If you have all question and still have not found the cause, it is best to stop and
gather further information about the design elements

ADAPTABILITY TO WORKING ENVIRONMENT

FEEDBACK & COACHING
 New graduates meet problems when integrate into working environment
- Lacking of practical knowledge
- The acceptance about capacity from colleagues
- Lacking of the imagination about working responsibilities
- Adapting to specific corporate culture
- Lacking of effective working performances
- Difficulties in adapting to business environment
- The ability to connect between “Specialization” and “Occupation”
 : The basic adaptation
- Adaptation is the key concept in working environment
- Be willing to reject your previous working conditions
- Be aware of specific characters of each organization
- To be successful in working with individuals, companies, governments, countries,
you should:
1. Be humble
2. Be flexible adaptation in various incidents
3. Fair judgment
4. Curiosity and interest
5. Good knowledge of business, market, country
6. Accept the diversity
7. Have ability to control respects
8. Have ability to integrate into the environment
 Skills in the 21st century:
 The 7s model of McKinsey:
Hard factors: The corporate easy to change and control (strategy, structure,
systems)
Soft factors: the corporate has to adapt and difficult to control

 8 main applied skills for working environment

1. Deep understanding your company:
- Understanding your work
- Understand your company's vision, strategy, systems, procedures and policies
- Understanding culture: What should or not do
 - Relevant persons that need to build relationships
- Required skills are needed to complete the job
2. Control yourself
- Understand your work requirements
- Understand your own ability to complete the work
- Gather feedback about the work performance and identify opportunities for
improvement
- Manage effective time and priorities
3. Effective communication
- Communicate with customers and colleagues
- Good in documentary skills (style, format, and precision)
- Listen carefully to all information and instructions
- Willing to share information with others (if possible)Successful collaboration
4. Successful collaboration
- Work with a team-working spirit to foster the engagement and collaboration
- Apply team-working skills to specific situations
- Collaborate to all of ages, genders, races, religions or political differences and
disable people
5. Effective problem solving
- Listening and solving all concerns relating to workplace issues (within the
scope)
- Solve work-related issues including potential conflicts
- Select appropriate methods for communications
- Delivering effective information relating to work
6. Good in planning and organizing
- Have ability to collect, organize needed information to serve work
- Planning and organizing your work schedule following daily, weekly, and
monthly
- Adapting to new situations and works that arise out of the plan
7. Be proactive
- Find out potential improvement opportunities in working condition
- Adapt to new situations within your position
- Refer tasks that are outside your working scope or from others’ role
- Recognize constructive feedback from team members
8. Leadership
- Leadership must be exposed when needed, or when be required
- Have ability to build collaborative relationships supporting to future work
- Have ability to influence your colleagues, team by your prestige and personal
characteristics
- Control your emotions, build the relationship of sharing and empathy
 The degree of pro-activeness in the work
- Waiting for the work
- Asking what kind of work is needed
- Suggesting what need to do and implementing it
- Conducting the work and inform to the others to know what to do
- Self-organizing and reporting
 What is “coaching”?
- Encourage learning, increase the work capacity and the ability of change
- Increase the cognitive ability and accountability of the employee
- The manager will achieve better results through better employee’s learning
 Who is needed for coaching?
- New staff
- Staff for new position
- Talent employees
- Staff need to be improved
- Employees need to solve difficult problems
 When does conduct coaching?
- Evaluating the personal capability
- Discussing about the employee capabilities
- Evaluating working monthly results
- Receiving feedback from colleagues and customers
- Planning to develop staff for a new position
 Techniques for guiding to someone:
- Give specific and clear initial goals or descriptions
- Effectively use in both language and non-verbal language
- Encourage raising questions
- Encourage two-way information exchange
- Request to repeat and check the level of performance
- Complete and summarize in each step
- Compare the results with original goals
 Information channel at the workplace can be:

Top down: the - From upper level down subordinate, or authorized

information moves persons
- Using for: instruction, ordering, notification, feedback,
decision making, job review

The same level - Same levels, positions, colleagues, cooperated

departments, responsible to each other
- Using for: sharing information, resolution
 coordinating, implementation support, getting
benefits,…
Lower level - Subordinates, staff employees, lower roles, weaker
responsibilities
- Using for: report, asking for feedback, receiving
guidelines, decision making, providing information,…
- Un-official: urgent situations, the absence of upper level,…
- Outside channels: partners, customers, competitors, etc. Information should be
collected from various sources in order to increase the flexibility
 Feedback:
- Share your awareness about behaviors, job status capacities and
- Share the status of others basing on observations and
- Strengthen, support, guide how to implementing the work to others
 Belief: is a complete acceptance about something as the truth
 The model: belief -> behavior -> result
 The GROW model:

G=GOAL: What - Purposes of the conversation

do we accomplish - Make sure that the purpose of conversation connect to
together? the long-term efficiencies
- Set up the time limitation for all
- Discuss important things in order to respect each
other
R=REALITY: - Understand the current situation
What are happening - Consider how to collect and connect all information
to you and me in - Wondering the real events and feelings
this situation? - Be careful when comment anything by yourself in
both verbal and non-verbal
- Provide feedback basing on the real observations,
information and what you really know
O=OPTIONS: - Encourage exploring possible solutions
Which solutions can - Note all proposed solutions during the discussion
help you handle the - Evaluate the costs and benefits from solutions
situation? - Only provide official advice whenever others could
not
W=WILL:What - Find out all aspects that the leader be interested in
next? pursuing
- Determine the key problems to resolve  Follow-up
and support
 - Make sure everyone has responsibility
 Why ineffective in feedback?
- Too little or too many instructions at the same time
- Without illustration
- Impatient
- Not well prepared
- Increase the tension
- Not receiving respone
 Give and receive the feedback:

Give the feedback Receive feedback

1. Repeat the purpose 1. Listen carefully
2. Observe and give evidences 2. Ask when not clear
3. Real assessment 3. Take note all instructions
4. Always praise – clever criticism 4. Recognize points that need to be
perfected
5. Confirm complete tasks 5. Have specific action plans

COMMUNICATION AND PRESENTATION SKILL

 Information exchange process

 Barries in communication:
- Noise
- Language
- Environment
- Feeling
- Relationship, authority
- Corporate culture
 The ways of communication:
- Language and verbal: speaking – writing – behaving – listening
- Non-verbal
 Essential skills by language communication: Basic skills:
- Sending information skill: speaking, wriring
- Receiving information skill: behaving, listening
 Understanding your audience:
- Be welcomed
- Be important
- Be comfortable
- Be understood
 Sending information skills: Speaking and Writing
- The 5C rule: Clear, Complete, Concise, Correct, Courteous
 Writing tip: write what to do, do what you write
 Listening skill:
- Not in passive listening: Not focusing to speaker, Attitude and feelings are heartless
- Active listening: focus on the speaker, Encourage dialogue and interactive, Positive
feedback on the information
 10 Non-verbal communication: Shape, Costume, Face, Hand, Eye contact,
Voice/volume, Distance, Moving, Smell, Touching.
- Always use polite words to others: Thank you, Sorry, Please, You’re welcome;
Excuse me, Allow me,…
- Use vocabulary in appropriate context
- Use humorous words to release the tension
- Talk smart to keep face
- Always “Biết người, biết ta”
 Meeting with your customers/partners
- Choose a comfortable sitting position (the back basing on the wall, the face towards
the door)
- Always stand/ sit opposite to customers (respect the personal space from 0.5m-
0.7m)
- Uses 55% body language, 38% voice, 7% words
 Preparing to the presentation
- Prepare materials:
+ It need to be prepared a few days in advance in checking all document as well as
tools
 + The presentation must be appropriate to the target audience
+ Compose a logical outline and take note key points of the presentation
+ Organize with visual tools (slides, projectors, video-clips, photos, board…)
+ some extra materials should be prepared for distribution (if possible)
- Develop a presentation strategy
+ Content: For education, or information, or entertainment?
How many parts need to be presented?
+ Target audience: How to use the professional language?
Your audience: mass, professional, “boss”, colleagues…?
- Use the appropriate structure:
+ Build the title for presentation
+ Presenting following level: from Overall/Highest to detail
+ Make sure the continuously of the content
+ Control the presentation time
+ Classification the content from Simple, Medium and Complex
 Always check the meeting room in advance:
- Check the meeting room at least 2 hours before the presentation
- Check the power source
- Check projector, the screen, connection devices, sound system, microphone,
computer…
- Check presentation materials incomplete
- Stationery: pen, flip chart, with paper, mop…
 The main structure of the presentation:
- Introduction:
+ Make attraction and present relevance of the topic to audience
+ Build relationships to all audience
+ Present the main topic and introduce the overview of content
- The body:
+ Limit the presentation within 5 parts or points
+ Adjust contents basing on the abilities and the needs of audience
+ Set time basing on announced program
- Conclusion:
+ Summarize all key points
+ Note to the limitations
+ Give follow-up activities or future directions
 Some tips for using slides:
- Use the sentence instead of paragraph
- Insert picture, charts, drawings
- Adjust the font size according to room
- Do not use abnormal fonts
- Use light colors for comfortable
- Use charts instead of statistic tables
- Use the same format
- Maximum 100 words in a slide, give the slide number
 Visual supports:

After 3 hours After 3 days

Listen 70% 10%
View 72% 20%
Listen & view 85% 65%

 Before presenting:
- Always confident and be natural
- Deep breathing
- Well team working
- Rehearsal repeatedly for the presentation
- Pay attention to the impressive opening
- Prepare well all evidences
- Present what you know in clear, concise and quick
 Answer questions:
- Listening carefully to the whole questions. You can ask until understanding
- Be honest about matters that you do not know. Do not lie!
- Avoid talking with inly one person
- Always say “thank you” when being asked

PERSONAL POSOTIONING IN WORKING PLACE

 ASK model:
- Attitude
- Skills
- Knowledge
 Personal positioning
- Who am I/ What are my future goals?
- SWOT analysis
- How to implement my goals/ Action plans
 How to become a successful “staff”?
- Complete effective all your tasks
- Recognize clear job goals
- Achieve the goal
- Know your breakthroughs to excel at work
- Good in office skills
- Good in communication and behavior skills
- Good in professional ethics/ team-working
 Setting your personal goals
- Set your own working goals
- Establish outcomes in achieving goals
- Set goals following SMART formula: Specific, Measurable, Achievement,
Realistic, Time bound
 SWOT analysis: Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats
 The 80% for creating self-image
- 80% of success is just knowing how to appear at the right time
- 80% of building and maintaining relationships in “always keep in touch”
 Control yourself
- It’s important to know how to work with
- It may not have “Work & Life balance”, only has trade-offs
- Long-life loyalty could be not good
- Listen to your feeling, it has plenty of information
- No pain, no gain
- Never ignore your dream
- Always keeping our truth and integrity
- To be lucky, you must be good
 Setting goals for yourself
- Establishing for yourself, not someone else
- Everything is possible
- You have more potential than you know
- Success associates with duty and responsibility
- Success should be kept in long-term
- Any goal (big or small) has to work
 Formula of successfulness:
Successfulness = Confidence + Persistence + Daring

SERVICE ORIENTED
 According to Philip Kotler, customers basically have 2 main need:
- Physically: physical, material requirements…
Ex: Customers need to withdraw money at the bank
Customers want to buy a bread
- Emotional: emotional satisfaction requirements
Ex: Customer send a complain to the bank about its services
Customers want to serve bread quickly & clean
 Formula for conducting a service
Service = Attitude + Clever behave + Implementing process
 5 elements for forming service quality
- Reputation: do and keep exactly what promised and published
- Responsibility: ready to help and implement customer requests; Always take
responsible by yourself
- Guarantee: employees’ knowledge and ability to make customers trust
- Sympathy: care to individual customers
- Tangible elements: facilities, tools, staff, landscape, decoration, etc.
 According to Philip Kotler, customers in service always expect:
- Be welcomed
- Be respected
- Be important
- Be comfortable
- Be safety
- Be understood
 Customer value formula
Value = Personal benefits – {Costs + Complaints}
 High quality service orientation:
- Nowadays, a good service means speed & efficiency
- The goals:
+ Make sure services are the same in anywhere
+ Eliminate unnecessary mistakes
+ Check and control the quality in the best condition
+ Establish new & appropriate standard systems