MAPS Thinking About Your Thinking: Metacognition for Better Decisions

Course Overview

Course Description

Why do smart, experienced professionals still make poor decisions? The answer often lies not in what we think—but in how we think. This engaging six-hour seminar introduces metacognition, the discipline of examining and improving your own thinking processes to make better decisions, solve problems more effectively, and avoid costly errors.

You will explore how the brain works, including fast vs. slow thinking, and uncover the hidden forces—biases, assumptions, emotions, and time pressure—that quietly distort judgment. Through real-world examples and guided exercises, you will learn to recognize when your thinking is off track and apply practical tools to pause, assess, and adjust your reasoning in real time.

The course emphasizes hands-on application, with scenarios focused on leadership decisions, difficult conversations, and complex problem-solving. You will leave with a set of proven techniques to improve clarity, challenge assumptions, and make more disciplined, objective decisions.

If you want to strengthen your judgment, reduce errors, and think more effectively in high-stakes situations, this seminar will change the way you think—literally.

Intended Audience

This course is designed for a broad professional audience and is particularly well-suited for individuals in roles that require decision-making, problem-solving, communication, and leadership, such as:

• Supervisors and managers
• Program and policy analysts
• Administrative and operational staff
• Educators and academic professionals
• Early-career professionals and graduate students preparing for leadership roles

The course is appropriate for beginner to intermediate learners and does not require prior formal training in critical thinking or psychology. However, it is equally valuable for experienced professionals seeking to refine their judgment and decision-making processes.

Metacognition is highly relevant across professions because it addresses a universal challenge: how to think clearly and make sound decisions in complex, high-pressure environments. Participants in government, education, and nonprofit sectors often operate under constraints such as limited information, competing priorities, and stakeholder pressures—all of which increase the likelihood of cognitive bias and flawed reasoning.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you will be able to: 

Explain how human thinking operates

• Describe the differences between intuitive (fast) and analytical (slow) thinking.
• Summarize how cognitive processes and neuroplasticity influence decision-making.
• Recognize common indicators of flawed reasoning.

Identify barriers that impair effective thinking

• Identify common mental blind spots, including biases, assumptions, and emotional influences.
• Distinguish between egocentric and sociocentric thinking patterns.
• Analyze how stress, time pressure, and group dynamics affect judgment.

Demonstrate understanding of metacognition

• Define metacognition and its role in improving thinking.
• Differentiate between the three elements: awareness, monitoring, and control.
• Explain how metacognition improves decision quality.

Apply metacognitive tools and techniques

• Apply structured pause-and-check techniques in decision scenarios.
• Use diagnostic questioning to evaluate assumptions and reasoning.
• Incorporate alternative perspectives to strengthen analysis.

Evaluate real-world decisions using metacognitive principles

• Evaluate the quality of decisions in supervisory, policy, and team-based scenarios.
• Assess reasoning for clarity, logic, and bias.
• Compare alternative approaches to complex problems.

Develop strategies to improve ongoing thinking and decision-making

• Construct a personal framework for reflective thinking and decision review.
• Implement journaling and post-decision analysis techniques.
• Integrate metacognitive practices into daily professional activities.

Course Materials

Course materials will be provided in class.

Instructor

Roger H. Westermeyer is an instructor, author, and former senior federal leader whose work centers on one core idea: helping professionals think better so they can make better decisions. With more than 30 years of experience across government, higher education, and consulting, he brings a practical, real-world perspective on decision-making in complex environments. 

He serves as an Instructor at The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, where he teaches seminars on critical thinking and metacognition and previously taught graduate-level contract management. His courses help participants better understand how they think, challenge assumptions, and make sound, ethical decisions—skills essential for professionals working in local, state, and federal government and nonprofit organizations. 

Roger is the author of Think Better Now: A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking in an Age of Distraction and shares ongoing insights through his Substack, Think Better Now at https://substack.com/@rrwesty. His writing and teaching focus on giving professionals practical tools they can use immediately to improve decision-making in their work. 

His approach is grounded in a distinguished career with the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense, where he held senior leadership roles within the Air Force Installation Contracting Center in Ohio and Air Force Material Command. In these roles, he led large teams, advised senior leaders, and supported multi-billion-dollar acquisition portfolios—consistently focused on improving outcomes through better strategy, innovation, and decision-making. 

Today, he also serves as the Principal Consultant of RWesty Consulting, LLC, advising organizations on federal contracting, proposal development, and navigating complex government systems. His work helps organizations build stronger partnerships with government and operate more effectively in public sector environments. 

Key Highlights

• Instructor at Ohio State University, John Glenn College of Public Affairs
• Focus on critical thinking, metacognition, and better decision-making
• 34 years of experience in federal procurement and public sector leadership
• Led and supported $30B+ acquisition portfolios
• Delivered training to large public sector audiences

FAQ's

Follow these steps to make a cancellation:

1. Refer to your registration confirmation email
2. Scroll down to "Cancellation Policy"
3. Follow link in email
4. Enter the confirmation number from the registration email
5. At the top of the page, click on “Cancel Registration” button
6. Click Finish

Follow these steps to make a substitution: 

1. Refer to your registration confirmation email
2. Scroll down to "Substitutions"
3. Follow link in email
4. Enter the confirmation number from the registration email
5. At the top of the page, click on the “Substitute Registrant” button
6. Enter the name and email of the new registrant
7. Click Next
8. Click Confirm

Waitlist
What happens if I am on a waitlist for a course? You will receive an email confirming you have been added to a waitlist. If a spot becomes available, you will be notified by email.  

CEU and CPE Policy
Attendance in this course can earn:

• 0.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
• 7.2 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEs)

Attendance is recorded at check-in at the start of the day, and full CEU or CPE credit is awarded based on an honor system, with the expectation that participants are present and actively engaged for the full MAPS course.

Course Certificate
Your course certificate will be emailed to you following the course. It will reflect your Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEs) earned and your attendance of the course. 

Photography
The Ohio State University may occasionally take pictures during educational events for use in program communication. If you do not want to be photographed during this course, please email the MAPS team at glenn-training@osu.edu.

MAPS Membership 
A MAPS member receives a discounted rate of $250 for each course with the initial purchase of at least 12 credits. Each credit equals one course for one individual.

To inquire about becoming a MAPS member, please fill out the MAPS Membership Form. A Glenn College Professional Development team member will reach out to you.

Questions or want to learn more?