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Essential Thinking : Adopting A Growth Mindset for Critical Thinking and Problem Solving in the Digital Age

  • Innovation & Business Improvement
Next Intake: 1 Oct 2025 (Wed)
  • Basic
  • SkillsFuture
  • Short Courses
  • This module is part of Advanced Certificate in Service Leadership & Innovation

This programme is conducted on-campus.

Next course starts on
1 Oct 2025 (Wed) See Full Schedule
Fee
SGD2,180* (as low as SGD254 after maximum funding) Learn More
Duration

2 days
Weekdays (9am - 6pm)

Level
Basic
Venue

Singapore Management University

Who Should Attend

Business owners, professionals and executives in service sectors who are seeking to stay relevant in mindset principles/ methodologies and are part of or responsible for bringing positive change and transformation to their organisations and to themselves through critical thinking and problem-solving.

Overview

What soft skills are required to be successful in the New Age? How will we add value to the future of work? What new thinking should we adopt?

Go beyond tools and frameworks and learn the core thinking traits that are essential for you to thrive in the new era by becoming entrepreneurial, innovative, nimble, customer-centric problem solvers.

The Digital Age is characterised by a strong need to move faster, focus intensely on customer experience and design highly innovative products, services and processes. Yet much of the world still operates on fundamental patterns of thinking that are largely a byproduct of the Industrial Age. This ‘Industrial Age Thinking’ is an inhibitor to meeting the new realities of a new age, such as becoming more nimble, user-centric and innovative. To be successful in the New Age, we need to adopt New Thinking: The ‘Essential Thinking Traits for the Digital Age. These thinking traits are powered by a combination of Lean Thinking, Design Thinking, Agile and other cutting-edge management and innovation approaches.

This module is available on a standalone basis.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand at a fundamental level the new thinking modes that we should adopt to keep up and thrive in the new age
  • Review and evaluate different organisational cultures, workplace contexts and practices as they navigate the future of work and the digital age
  • Recognise the future of work skills based on developing and emerging trends, organisational roles and emphasis on skills 
  • Review and analyse essential thinking (mindsets) for the digital age (such as) human centricity, problem-solving, entrepreneurial, co-creation and innovation, resilience and growth mindsets
  • Translate thinking and growth mindsets into action through individual self-assessment, reflection and a personal development plan

Topic/Structure

  • Brief historical context and comparison between ‘Industrial-Age Thinking’ and 'Digital-Age Thinking’
  • Identify key pitfalls of the antiquated thinking traits and practices relative to the new skills we need to be successful in Digital Age jobs and roles 
  • Point-by-point review of each of the essential ‘mind skills’ required to be successful in an Industrial 4.0 world
  • Self-assessment of the current status in terms of realisation of the Essential Mind-Skills for the Digital Age

Assessment

As part of the requirement for SkillsFuture Singapore, there will be an assessment conducted at the end of the course. The mode of assessment, which is up to the trainer’s discretion, may be an online quiz, a group/ individual presentation or based on classroom exercises.

Participants are required to attain a minimum of 75% attendance and pass the associated assessment in order to receive a digital Certificate of Completion issued by Singapore Management University.

Calculate Programme Fee

Click here for more infomation about SkillsFuture Credits (Not applicable for Company-sponsored participants)
For PSEA - Available only for Singapore Citizen below 31 (Not applicable for Company-sponsored participants)

Total Program Fee: SGD0.00

Fee Table

COMPANY-SPONSORED

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

SELF-SPONSORED

SME

NON-SME

Singapore Citizen < 40 years old

Permanent Resident

LTVP+

$654

(After SSG Funding 70%)

$254

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ ETSS Funding 20%)

$654

(After SSG Funding 70%)

Singapore Citizen ≥ 40 years old

$254

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ MCES Funding 20%)

$254

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ ETSS Funding 20%)

$254

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ MCES Funding 20%)

International Participant

$2,180

(No Funding)

$2,180

(No Funding)

$2,180

(No Funding)

All prices include 9% GST

Please note that the programme fees are subject to change without prior notice.

Post Secondary Education Account (PSEA)
PSEA can be utilised for subsidised programmes eligible for SkillsFuture Credit support. Click here to find out more.

Self Sponsored

SkillsFuture Credit

Singapore Citizens aged 25 and above may use their SkillsFuture Credits to pay for the course fees. The credits may be used on top of existing course fee funding.

This is only applicable to self-sponsored participants. Application to utilise SkillsFuture Credits can be submitted when making payment for the course via the SMU Academy TMS Portal, and can only be made within 60 days of course start date.

Please click here for more information on the SkillsFuture Credit. For help in submitting an SFC claim, you may wish to refer to our step-by-step guide on claiming SkillsFuture Credits (Individual).

Workfare Skills Support Scheme

From 1 July 2023, the Workfare Skills Support (WSS) scheme has been enhanced. Please click here for more details.

Company Sponsored

Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS)

  • Organisation must be registered or incorporated in Singapore
  • Employment size of not more than 200 or with annual sales turnover of not more than $100 million
  • Trainees must be hired in accordance with the Employment Act and fully sponsored by their employers for the course
  • Trainees must be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents
  • Trainees must not be a full-time national serviceman
  • Trainees are eligible for ETSS funding only if their company's SME status is approved prior to the course commencement date. To verify your SME's status, please click here. 

Please click here for more information on ETSS.

Absentee Payroll

Companies who sponsor their employees for the course may apply for Absentee Payroll here. For more information, please refer to:

AP Guide (Non-SME Companies)
Declaration Guide (SME Companies)

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Trainers

John Hamalian
Trainer; Consultant; Owner
Lean Enterprise Southeast Asia
John Hamalian
Trainer; Consultant; Owner
Lean Enterprise Southeast Asia
John has over 20 years of experience at General Motors and Dell, specialising in Lean Thinking and Agility, Innovation, Digital-Age Management, Strategy, Change Management, Transformation and Sustainable Organisational Development. With assignments based in the USA, China, Germany, Korea, India and Singapore, culminating in 2 Asia-Pacific Regional Director positions, John thrives in global and culturally-diverse environments. He is an adjunct lecturer at various universities; a published writer on Management, Leadership, Strategy and Asian culture; and an active speaker at Business Excellence conferences, global corporations and professional institutions. John is the founder of Sustainable Organisational Excellence and the Southeast Asia Representative for the Lean Global Network, offering consulting, coaching, facilitation, and training services. John holds an MBA from Fordham University and a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from Kettering University.

Testimonials

The 2 days wow me with a menu of the essential thinking concepts that are key in the digital age! Reflective & enriching experience that upgraded my thinking "software"!
Ms Ho Mee Yin
Head, Centre for Learning Systems
Singapore Armed Forces
This workshop allowed myself to reflect and change the way I should think and adopt changes.
Ms Abigail Jansen
Deputy Manager, Guest Insights &amp; Experience
Sentosa Development Corporation

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