The Business Applications of Argument Analysis workshop is the second day of our Critical Thinking in Business training solution. Building on what you learned in the Overcome Your Cognitive Biases! workshop, we expand on the Grove Method of Argument Analysis and show you how this method improves the most essential business tasks of decision making, problem solving, strategic planning, and sales. Real world examples are incorporated to demonstrate the effectiveness of applying Critical Thinking skills to common business challenges. In particular, we show how using argument analysis can help you: 

• make better decisions and avoid costly mistakes

• correctly identify causes and provide solutions to problems

• develop an effective strategy and communicate that strategy

• be more persuasive and influential

Workshop overview

deductive reasoning

Building on the content of the Overcome Your Cognitive Biases! workshop, we begin by exploring more ways that reasons can provide rational support for conclusions. We examine what it means for an argument to be valid and how to test an argument for validity. This valuable skill encourages the Critical Thinking mindset of considering a variety of possible situations.

detecting and avoiding fallacious reasoning

We also expand on the discussion of informal fallacies, learning how to detect and avoid further types of fallacious arguments one frequently encounters in business. In addition, we will explore the situations in which it is rational to accept a claim on the basis of testimony, normally considered a fallacy in reasoning. 

applications of argument analysis

The bulk of this workshop is spent on applying Argument Analysis to common business tasks. We show you how to use analogical reasoning to make better decisions, how to properly conduct a cost/benefit analysis and how to avoid the common mistakes associated with this mode of reasoning. We also show you how our method improves your problem solving abilities so that you can correctly identify the source of a problem to avoid the costly mistake of fixing what isn’t broken. We provide you with tools to improve your ability to develop an effective strategy and enable you to better communicate that strategy. Finally, we show you how using our method improves your ability to sell your ideas, clearly articulate your proposals and better understand your client’s needs, which will prepare you to deal with objections and build confidence in business.