Competencies, Critical Thinking & AIM

Integrating the six essential life competencies with the six core critical thinking skills and AIM framework

Thinking for Impact: How to Master Life’s 6 Key Competencies

Objective: Connect critical thinking to real-world competencies using actionable AIM strategies.

Duration: 120 minutes

Format: Interactive workshop with case studies, role-playing, and peer coaching.

Opening Hook: 

Imagine a world where you could:  

• Solve problems like a detective (Critical Thinking)  

• Brainstorm like an artist (Creative Thinking)  

• Learn new skills like a hacker (Learning to Learn)  

• Persuade like a diplomat (Communication)  

• Build trust like a team captain (Collaboration)  

• Lead change like an activist (Social Responsibility) 

Today, you’ll learn how the AIM framework turns these competencies into habits.

Part 2: Deep Dive with AIM 

Case Study: The Green Office Initiative 

Scenario: A company wants to reduce waste but faces resistance. 

Role-play as:  

• Data Analysts (Critical Thinking → Assess waste audit reports)  

• Innovators (Creative Thinking → Make upcycling solutions)  

• Trainers (Learning to Learn → Identify staff knowledge gaps)  

• Communicators (Communication → Assess+Identify stakeholder concerns)  

• Mediators (Collaboration → Make a teamwork charter)  

• Ethics Reviewers (Social Responsibility → Identify equity impacts) 

AIM Tools Provided:  

• Assess: Waste audit spreadsheet (Critical Thinking)  

• Identify: Bias checklist for resistance (Social Responsibility)  

• Make: Prototyping kit for upcycled products (Creative Thinking)

Part 3: Competency Challenges 

Rotating Stations (20 min/station):  

1. Creative Thinking: Turn this trash into a sellable product (Use Inference to justify designs).  

2. Learning to Learn: Teach someone to compost in 2 mins (Use Metacognition to check understanding).  

3. Collaboration: Build a paper tower blindfolded (Use Problem-Solving to delegate tasks). 

What AIM phase are you using? How does this connect to the competency?

Part 4: Social Responsibility Lab 

Activity: The Fair Promotion 

Teams decide who to promote using flawed data (e.g., skewed performance metrics).  

• Critical Thinking: Assess data gaps.  

• Social Responsibility: Identify demographic biases.  

• Communication: Make a transparent announcement. 

Power Question: 

How did AIM help balance fairness with business needs?

Closing: Personal Action Plans 

Worksheet Prompt: 

Pick one competency to strengthen this month. Your AIM plan:  

• Assess: What data/skills do I need?  

• Identify: What biases/habits could block me?  

• Make: What’s one small experiment to try?

Share-Out: Peers give AIM feedback

                   Have you assessed all learning styles?

Materials Provided: 

1. AIM Competency Map (Visual handout linking all 6 skills).

2. Bias Toolkit (For Social Responsibility/Learning to Learn).

3. Case Study Pack (Green Office, Fair Promotion).

Assessment: Submit a 1-page "Competency Growth Plan" using AIM.

Why This Works: 

• Holistic: Shows how critical thinking underpins all life skills.

• Actionable: Every competency ties to AIM’s concrete steps.

• Relevant: Workplace and civic scenarios build real-world muscle.

• Critical Thinking

  • Lesson 1: Critical Thinking in Action

  • Lesson 2: Bias Recognition (Identify)

  • Lesson 3: Inference (Make)

  • Lesson 4: Problem-Solving (Assess + Make)

  • Lesson 5: Evaluation (Assess + Identify)

  • Lesson 6: Metacognition (Identify)

  • Pre-Capstone Prep: Review & Progress Check

  • Capstone Lesson: Critical Thinking Certification Challenge

• How Learning Styles Shape Critical Thinking

• Competencies, Critical Thinking & AIM

• Achieve More with Less Using Critical Thinking

• Integrating core critical thinking skills with the AIM framework

• Integrating Emotional Intelligence

• How to Solve Community Problems with EQ, Critical Thinking & AIM