One of the essential elements of critical thinking is identifying the key issue. This skill is explained in this lesson.

Identifying the Key Issue (What?)

This skill involves determining the single most useful thing to make a decision about and framing it as a simple question.

Examples

• Context: Vacation
  • Key Issue: What would be the best way to spend today?
• Context: Health
  • Key Issue: What habit provides me with the most health benefits?
• Context: Coding
  • Key Issue: What actions today will most enhance the reliability of my code?

Rationale

1. Aligns decision-making with high priorities, keeping focus on what is most important.
2. Enhances motivation by maintaining focus on priorities.

Identifying the Key Issue (How To)

Use Diamond Logic as summarized below:

1. Generating Question: Ask a generating question. What might we make a decision about today? What are we concerned about? What opportunities do we have?

2. Multiple Ideas: Generate many ideas, number them, and write them down.

3. Selection: Select the best idea or combine two to three ideas.

4. Decision: Summarize the best idea and frame it as a simple question.