Course Objective & Scope
In an environment flooded with dashboards and AI-generated text, the real advantage lies in questioning the logic behind claims, surfacing hidden assumptions and running hypothesis-driven analysis. This course covers the Toulmin argument model (claim, evidence, warrant), deductive, inductive and abductive reasoning, common business logical fallacies and hypothesis-led problem solving.
Working on realistic business cases, participants build an assumption map and hypothesis test plan to construct rigorous, defensible recommendations.
Who Should Attend?
- Managers, team leads and specialists involved in analytical decision-making
- Strategy, business analysis, product, finance and internal consulting teams
- Professionals who author or evaluate business cases and investment proposals
- No technical prerequisites
Key Takeaways
- Separate verified facts, analytical inferences and untested assumptions in any proposal
- Solve complex problems faster using hypothesis-driven analysis rather than boiling the ocean
- Spot logical fallacies such as false dilemmas, weak causality and hasty generalisations in meetings
- Structure bulletproof arguments using Claim, Evidence, Warrant and Qualifier components
- Map assumptions by importance and uncertainty to test the riskiest links first
Curriculum
Foundations of Critical and Analytical Reasoning
- Distinguishing facts, opinions, inferences and underlying assumptions
- Deductive, inductive and abductive reasoning in business analysis
Hypothesis-Driven Problem Solving
- Replacing 'boil the ocean' data gathering with falsifiable upfront hypotheses
- Building a hypothesis tree and designing minimum-effort disconfirming tests
Argument Anatomy and Spotting Logical Fallacies
- The Toulmin framework: Claim, Data, Warrant, Backing and Rebuttal
- Catching common workplace fallacies: false dichotomy, post hoc ergo propter hoc, strawman and cherry-picking
Assumption Mapping and Logic Stress-Testing
- Surfacing the unspoken conditions that must hold true for a plan to succeed
- Plotting assumptions on an Importance × Uncertainty matrix to prioritise testing
Business Case Analysis and Argument Defence Workshop
- Constructing a hypothesis tree, assumption map and evidence log on a realistic case
- Defending the recommendation under structured peer cross-examination
Other Courses in This Category
-
Kahneman's System 1/System 2 thinking, confirmation bias, sunk cost fallacy, anchoring, groupthink and decision noise; teams design practical debiasing checklists and decision hygiene routines.
- Live Course
- 5 modules
-
Testing the quality of evidence across reports, market studies, internal metrics and AI outputs; covers correlation vs causation, survivorship bias, base rates and source triangulation.
- Live Course
- 5 modules
-
Defining weighted decision criteria (MCDA) before evaluating options, separating knockout must-haves from scored trade-offs and building decision matrices on a real organisational choice.
- Live Course
- 5 modules
-
Overcoming brittle single-point forecasts with 2x2 scenario matrices, early-warning signposts, trigger-based contingency plans and Gary Klein's Pre-Mortem method on a real initiative.
- Live Course
- 5 modules
-
Using LLMs as structured devil's advocates and Red Team partners rather than sycophantic yes-men; covers steelmanning, assumption hunting and stress-testing strategic proposals before approval.
- Live Course
- 5 modules
-
Defining the real root problem instead of chasing symptoms; covers the Problem Statement Canvas, MECE issue trees, 5 Whys, scope boundaries and aligning stakeholders before jumping to solutions.
- Live Course
- 5 modules
Get in touch
