Critical Thinking for Internal Communicators
Critical Thinking for Internal Communicators
Introduction to Critical Thinking
What skills do we need to thrive in a world being transformed by technological, ecological and political upheavals? Technological disruptions such as AI, in particular, according to the World Economic Forum[1], “are expected to drive skills change more than any other trend” in the near future. In this landscape, says professor Vasant Dhar “Humans who are the most AI proof, are those with a combination of deep knowledge in some domain, an insatiable curiosity and a tendency to ask a lot of questions”[2]. The first of these is about becoming true experts in our field. The second and third are about mastering critical thinking.
This introductory one hour session aims to start the conversation on Critical Thinking, what it is, why it matters, why it is not always easy, and how we can develop, strengthen and apply our critical thinking muscles at work and beyond. Presented by Dr Domna Lazidou, one of the MA in Internal Communication tutors (where critical thinking is a key element of the curriculum), it will combine academic and practical input, as well as interactive exercises to get us questioning some of the things we take for granted and beginning to think more critically about our assumptions, our biases and our practice.
At the end of the session participants should:
- Have gained a clear understanding of the importance of critical thinking for their practice
- Appreciate the challenges to critical thinking, including typical heuristics and biases
- Know how to apply critical thinking principles to improve their own decision making and evaluate others’ arguments and information
- Know where to find out more and how to develop their skills further.
[1] World Economic Forum (2025), Future of Jobs Report https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf
[2] Dhar, V. (2026), Thinking With Machines: The Brave New World of AI, Hoboken: Wiley.
Learning outcomes
You will leave the session with a clear understanding of the importance of critical thinking for your practice and how to apply critical thinking principles to improve your own decision making and evaluate others’ arguments and information.
This training is designed for IOIC members who want to develop their critical thinking skills.
The session will provide members with 2 CPD Points (5% of your recommended annual CPD).
This session will take place on Zoom. Once booked your personal meeting link can be found in your membership account area under 'My Events'.
