Here are the major elements that differentiate Black Belt in Thinking (BBIT) from other critical thinking courses out there:
1. Clarity-First
2. Pragmatic over Philosophical
3. Transfer of Skill, not just Knowledge
Let me explain what I mean by each of these:
Clarity-First
Albert Einstein is famed to have said: “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”
I have to go with the Nobel Prize winner on this one. The visual signs of a problem, as perceived, are rarely a problem in and of themselves. And coming up with a solution for these visible signs, i.e., symptoms, will rarely result in an effective solution.
Think about having a cough. A persistent one lasting a few weeks, that just doesn’t seem to go away. You may try treating it with lozenges and honey. But if the root cause of that cough is a bacterial infection, that requires antibiotics, not only will you not make it go away with a nice warm cuppa, you could actually make it a whole lot worse!
In BBIT we view clarity on the problem as a prerequisite to a solution, and a solution as a natural consequence of clearly defining a problem.
In BBIT we train you in the tools that define the problem, turn it upside-down and inside-out… and we then show you how to find the solution hiding in one of its nooks and crannies.
BBIT causes real change because it deals with real problems!
“Most courses I have attended have not necessarily resulted in a lot of change for me personally or my company, but this one did.” – Michael Humphries
Pragmatic over Philosophical
This one might seem obvious, but problem-solving and decision-making have forever lived in the domain of self-proclaimed leadership gurus. And as a vehicle of delivering their wisdom, they have predominantly chosen social media memes and inspirational quotes… or a compilation of, in a book format.
This has further cemented critical thinking as a soft skill, as people have discovered that most of the advice they receive is philosophical, and really has no practical instruction or application. On the bright side, we have decided to view this as an opportunity to re-invent critical thinking as a pragmatic, hard skill. One that can be observed, measured, and tested.
Pragmatic describes our approach to problem-solving and decision-making. We don’t jam our program full of buzzwords and inspirational quotes – each and every tool we train you in is simple, instructional, and systematic, so you can act with intent and cause real results.
” ‘The Pragmatic Programmer’ told me ‘Don’t Think Outside the Box—Find the Box’. Now with this course, I know how to do so without going round in circles!” – A. Grimm
Transfer of Skill, not just Knowledge
And lastly, probably the most important of them all: In BBIT we transfer a life-long skill to you; a capability, not just knowledge.
Too often courses are an informative curation of interesting facts. Yes, you learn a lot. You walk away telling people about the interesting course you just did, and all the wonderful things you learned.
You give an amazing testimonial to the course creators, while under the influence of the post-course ‘high’… but as you sober up, after a few weeks you find that you have not used this newly-acquired knowledge to make any meaningful change in your daily life.
Have you ever wondered why this is?
It is certainly not because what you were taught was false. The information is as true and interesting as it was when you learned it… but you lack fluency in order to use the knowledge in the outside world.
In BBIT we pass on fluency of tools, rather than just ‘the how’ and ‘the why’. We have intentionally designed the course to train you, not teach you, so when you leave the course, you are fluent enough to start using the tools and techniques to make an immediate difference to your everyday life.
“It is refreshing to see a set of tools, rather than black magic, that we can use to energize our business and improve our communication.” – Z. Appoo
Register today if any of this resonated, and join the most impactful critical thinking community in the world…
Mirta is a Director of ViAGO Limited, a behavioral science enthusiast, and a mum to three boisterous boys.