Module 1 ยท Lesson 1

The Problem-Solving Mindset

โฑ 10 min

Critical thinking starts with asking better questions. Instead of 'Why did this happen?', ask 'What are all the possible causes?' Instead of 'What should we do?', ask 'What assumptions are we making?'

The 5-Why technique: Ask 'why' five times in succession to reach the root cause of any problem. Pair this with the MECE framework (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) to ensure your analysis covers all possibilities without overlap.

๐Ÿ’ก Quick Tips

  • Write down the problem before solving it โ€” clarity comes from specificity.
  • Challenge your first solution: 'What are three other ways we could solve this?'
  • Separate facts from assumptions โ€” label them clearly in your analysis.