Recently, Pearson was named a Top Training Company by TrainingIndustry.com. Specifically, Pearson was ranked in the Top 20 organizations for Content Development. This is a very prestigious award and great recognition for the custom training content Pearson creates and delivers to organizations worldwide.
The award also speaks to the overall mission of Pearson which (as this video shows) “believes in learning. All kinds of learning for all kinds of people, delivered in a personal style. “
At Pearson, we know one size does not fit all. As an example of that approach, take a look at the variety of critical thinking training products offered by Pearson TalentLens.
Let’s start with the Watson-Glaser™ II Critical Thinking Appraisal assessment, which can be used for both employee selection and development. It is built on decades of research and offers an easy-to-remember model of critical thinking; the RED Model. This 3-factor model of critical thinking allows people understand their strengths and hone in on the areas they need to develop.
So, the question becomes “How do you develop your critical thinking skills?” Well, that depends on a variety of factors. For instance, what kinds of decisions do you make on a daily basis? What kinds of problems are you expected to solve? Are you an individual contributor or an Executive? Do you prefer team training, online training, coaching, or a combination of all three? Whatever your answer is, TalentLens has a solution.
For example, for managers, executives, and high-potentials, we suggest the 2-day Critical Thinking Boot Camp.
This on-site program breaks down the critical thinking process into insanely practical, and easy to remember steps. Participants use their own real-life business issues as working case studies as they learn the unique approaches to decision making, problem solving, strategic planning, creative thinking, etc.
Perhaps you don’t have time to go to a 2-day training and prefer to learn online or in your free time? Then the Critical Thinking University™ (CTU) is the right choice for you. The CTU allows learners of every critical thinking skill level the opportunity to walk through 18 interactive courses that include real life case studies, practice activities, and discussion boards. In addition, expert critical thinking coaches Dr. Charles and Anne Kreitzberg serve as the CTU’s Community Managers and help draw out better thinking from participants by guiding discussion board interactions toward deeper thinking. Each week they also pose a new topic of discussion that takes a look at something happening in the news and frames it with a critical thinking context. There is an emphasis on social learning within the CTU (via the discussion boards, book club, and wiki) as well as a fun gaming component.
Are you an avid reader or prefer to learn on your own? Then check out the Amazon best-seller Now You’re Thinking! This book tells the heroic story of how a marine battalion saved the life of a 2-year old Iraqi girl through phenomenal thinking. The first half of the story details the unbelievable challenges this group of individuals faced when trying to arrange life-saving surgery for a toddler. While overcoming known barriers and planning for the unexpected, they used critical thinking at every turn to successfully complete their mission. The second half of the book details how they were successful by comparing their actions to the 5 Steps of Critical Thinking and also relying upon one another’s unique thinking styles. Within the pages of Now You’re Thinking! you will assess your own thinking style, learn what works about the way you think, what doesn’t, and how to get control of your time and your life.
Do you need team training? Then the THINK Now! training might be right for you.
This half-day session is based on the book Now You’re Thinking! and the My Thinking Styles™ assessment. It focuses on the individual preferences that affect the way you approach decisions/problems and uses a heartfelt, heroic story to show effective thinking. Participants take the My Thinking Styles™ assessment and learn which of the 7 Powerful Thinking Styles is their most preferred Thinking Style. Then they take a deeper dive into these thinking styles while using the characters of the Now You’re Thinking! story as real-life examples. The emphasis in this training session is mastering thinking skills and understanding how to tap into your lesser preferred thinking style.
But what if group training, online training, books, and assessments just aren’t a fit for your learning style? Then perhaps one-on-one coaching might be right for you? Through the consulting services provided by our partner organization Executive Development Associates (EDA), you can receive custom training or coaching based on your unique needs.
There is no one-size fits all approach to critical thinking training, so in developing our critical thinking franchise, we have tried to match every style of learning with a solution. It is this approach, which is consistent throughout Pearson, that has helped us receive recognition from TrainingIndustry.com as leaders in Content Development.
What about you? How do you prefer to learn?
Editor’s Note: Breanne Harris is the Solutions Architect for Pearson TalentLens. She works with customers to design selection and development plans that incorporate critical thinking assessments and training. She has a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology and has experience in recruiting, training, and HR consulting. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter for more of her thoughts.
