Mike Vaughan.
The Thinking Effect asks two connected questions: how do people develop their thinking, and what evidence helps them and their organizations see the difference?
What this site is for
Learning at work needs to help people do more than find an answer. It should give them opportunities to examine assumptions, work through competing demands, and judge when an answer does not fit.
The writing and exercises here turn that argument into practical design questions. For individuals, the purpose is a clearer next step. For organizations, it is a better account of who is ready for a particular responsibility and what remains to be developed.
Where the name comes from
The site takes its name from Mike’s book, The Thinking Effect. It carries the discussion into learning design, thinking practice, and evidence of readiness. The framework page describes the cycle behind the name.
How to Ask Better Questions
Mike's TEDx talk on how the questions we ask shape what we notice, what we decide, and how we treat each other.
Related work
This work connects with Mike’s work at The Regis Company and with SimGate. Those connections provide context; examples on this site are labeled illustrative unless a real case and its evidence are identified.
Talk with Mike
Bring a learning design, a difficult decision, or a responsibility your organization needs people to be ready for. A useful starting point is the situation, what people currently do, and what you need to change.
Mike is also available for speaking, panels, and press on thinking, judgment, and readiness in the age of AI.
mike.vaughan@thethinkingeffect.com
For conversations connected to Regis: mvaughan@regiscompany.com.