A guide to critical thinking skills (with examples)
No matter what situation you're in, you will need to address conflicts or challenges. From figuring out how to use your time wisely to adjusting the annual budget at work, you'll deal with issues that need a satisfying solution. To do this, you must exercise your critical thinking skills.
You can apply critical thinking skills to any setting. For example, when delegating responsibilities to your team members, you check their capabilities, current commitments, pros, and cons. When deciding which job offer to say yes to, consider not only the compensation and benefits package, but also the commute, organisational culture, and even potential career trajectory.
In these situations, you exhibit aspects of critical thinking, such as observation and research, analysis, and experimentation, to reach the best possible results.
- Understanding critical thinking
- Example of critical thinking in problem-solving
- Example of critical thinking in decision-making
- Example of critical thinking in creativity
- Example of critical thinking in communication
- Example of critical thinking in analysis and evaluation
- Examples of critical thinking in self-reflection
- The benefits of developing critical thinking skills
- The barriers to critical thinking
- Critical thinking in practice
- Developing critical thinking skills
- How to improve critical thinking skills
- Tools and techniques for critical thinking
- Benefits of a workplace culture that encourages critical thinking
- The future of critical thinking
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
Understanding critical thinking
The definition of critical thinking
So what is critical thinking? The word “critical” is rooted in “kritikos,” a Greek word that means “able to make sense of” or “able to discern.” It’s a way of thinking in which you ask questions, then analyse, interpret, and evaluate information. You then reach a decision based on this input. It means using sound information to make good judgements.
Critical thinking is not the same as criticising, which points out faults and failures. It’s more about thinking clearly to analyse information and interpret for better decision.
Critical thinking plays a pivotal role in the workplace. It's one of the most valuable transferable skills to have. It allows you to think objectively and efficiently, solve problems, and make the best decisions for everyone involved, as well as for the organisation.
The elements of critical thinking
Critical thinking involves a systematic way of assessing a situation or problem. Here are the basic steps of the evaluative process:
1. Observation
Observation allows you to take in details about people, things, and the environment around you for better understanding.
2. Analysis
Analytical thinking involves investigating an issue and gathering available data to determine the possible root cause and solution.
3. Interpretation
Critical thinking means looking at information, filtering it, and understanding what it means in the context you are observing.
4. Evaluation
Decision-making comes after reviewing your data. Assess information in its entirety before reaching a solution.
5. Explanation
Critical thinking means articulating how and why you arrived at such a decision. You should be able to explain the logic behind the process and provide a rationale.
6. Self-regulation
You constantly seek improvement to become more efficient and effective with your solutions. Self-regulation entails being always aware of your thought processes.
Example of critical thinking in problem-solving
Now that you have a deeper understanding of critical thinking, it is time to learn the practical steps of the process – and how to apply them to problems you may encounter.
Situation:
You're the manager of a small restaurant. Regulars visit your café daily. Your restaurant gets an average of 20 customers per day. While this is enough to sustain the business, you earn only a small profit. As a result, you want to grow your client base.You've allotted a small budget to generate interest and rev up sales.
1. Define the problem.
By identifying the issue, you can outline the next steps and necessary information. The more you zoom in on the problem, the more targeted your solution will be.
In the example above, your problem statement can be, “Grow my client base by 20% over the next 6 months.”
2. Gather information and data.
Start collecting information to help you reach a logical and measurable solution.
Look into your monthly and annual profits in the past. How much have they grown or fallen? Did they stay the same? Are there high-earning months? Do you notice a pattern? Study your menu and see which items move and which don't.
If you're extra thorough in your assessment, figure out your demographic. You can also study what your competitors are doing.
3. Identify potential solutions.
With the collected data, think of plausible ideas to address the issue. These will test your knowledge of the product, process, or system encountering challenges.
If your customers order the same items, you can retire some dishes. You can replace those options with fresher trends to expand the demographic. If your competitor introduces combos and sales, look into promotions you can offer.
4. Evaluate solutions.
Analyse the proposed solutions. How can these solve the problem, and what resources do they need? Are they sustainable? Trim down the most optimal options before testing them.
Would retiring dishes affect the cost of your supply? Is your kitchen staff ready to take on new dishes? Are they familiar with trendy restaurants? Do you have room in the budget for training?
5. Implement solutions.
Test your shortlisted solutions for their effectiveness and feasibility, and record the outcomes. Make sure to allow for a long enough period to produce results.
For example, some of those solutions can be:
- Slash a few non-movers off the menu
- Introduce a weekly special
- Drop your prices by 50% after 8 p.m.
Try these solutions one at a time to assess the outcome. Then, note the results from end to end.
6. Monitor and adjust solutions.
Review the changes you made and pick out which efforts were worth it. Do you need to make any adjustments? Did the weekly special attract new customers? Were regulars looking for retired items? Bear these factors in mind when you choose a final solution.
With practice, critical thinking can do wonders in the workplace.
Example of critical thinking in decision-making
Making decisions can be tricky at work, no matter what your position or job level. You may even step on some toes. But when you use critical thinking, decision-making becomes more structured and less personal.
Definition of decision-making
Decision-making isn't just about picking between options A and B. In the workplace, it entails data collection and impactful solutions.
How to make effective decisions using critical thinking
Effective decision-making needs a deliberate process to produce the most satisfactory results. You can use various models and methods. But the overall approach entails typical critical thinking elements.
Situation:
You are a creative writing graduate with two job offers. The first, as a copywriter for a pharmaceutical firm, offers a high salary and amazing benefits, but the career path isn't clear. The other pays about 25% less, but it's as an editorial assistant at your dream publishing house. It also offers long-term prospects.
1. Identify your goal.
Brainstorm and identify specific goals you want to accomplish in your career. Use these goals to align your decision-making.
In the above example, think about what career path you envision in the longer run. Do you want to be an editor or a marketing manager? If you don't have a clear idea of a specific career path for the future, think deeply about your strengths and interests. What do you value more, money or challenges? Stability or new experiences?
This will help you be more specific about career-goals.
2. Identify options.
After making a decision, pause and review. Ask yourself: "Is this the best decision I can make? Could there be other options I can consider?"
In the above example, you can consider writing part-time or negotiating a higher salary with the publishing house.
3. Gather and analyse information.
Collect details to help you come up with an informed decision. What do these tell you about the problem? Considering all this information, what's the most reasonable choice?
What are the pros and cons of each job based on your lifestyle needs? Do you need money to support your family? Do you just want the experience?
4. Evaluate alternatives.
Do the same intensive process when assessing options. Return to the challenge, list every pro and con, and imagine each choice's impact. Is it just A or B, or is there a compromise? Look at the bigger picture.
If you opt for the pharmaceutical job, will it make you happy? Do you think you can wait for other job offers to come in? How much time do you have before you need to make a decision?
5. Choose the best alternative.
With the options laid out, choose the best alternative. When in doubt, go back to the goal you identified earlier. Your primary motivation is to address this goal.
After putting the pieces together, you may decide to opt for the publishing house, negotiating for better compensation.
Example of critical thinking in creativity
Despite the "process," critical thinking can be creative, too. For example, creative problem-solving means developing new ideas to address problems. According to Harvard Business School, it means you can “ overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.”
Think of how Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling founded Grab. They wanted to solve the issue of unsafe taxi rides in Malaysia. Their innovation came in the form of My Teksi, Grab’s precursor. You can use critical thinking when you want to innovate.
Definition of creativity
Creativity means stretching your imagination and thinking outside the box. It is not limited to conventional creative pursuits such as art or music. You can use innovative thinking to solve problems, elicit attention, or evoke an emotional connection.
How to use critical thinking to enhance creativity
Critical thinking helps in a creative slump, providing a framework or guidelines. It adds structure, direction, and a sense of organisation.
Situation:
You are an HR executive tasked to design the annual team building activity. You want it to be memorable, not just another conference where no one pays attention.
1. Brainstorm
As the most common way to exercise creative thinking at work, brainstorming happens when an individual or group exchanges ideas in response to a question or to achieve a goal.
Gather the events team and bounce plans off each other. A hotel getaway might trigger other suggestions, such as anAmazing Race, a spa trip, or geocaching (a collaborative activity where others hide things all over the world for others to seek out).
2. Identify assumptions
Formulating fresh ideas means changing perspectives and thinking differently. To do this, you must recognise preconceived notions, assumptions, and generalisations about the problem.
Your team may believe such activities are a chore and find them a drag. They could also resort to usual ideas, such as relays, tug of war, or scavenger hunts.
3. Challenge assumptions
Combat these preconceptions through creative thinking. Other people will want to stick to the old way. Creative approaches, like brainstorming, will help challenge these and spur fresh ideas.
Don't just copy what other HR executives have done. Check out trends so more people can relate. Study the attendees' strengths and weaknesses. Use these as a jumping-off point.
4. Reframe problems
Oftentimes, shared perspectives can hamper the ideas generated through creative thinking. Reframing problems means using a different point of view. You want to solve a problem imaginatively, not just following how other people have done it before
Send a survey to check what people in the office like doing. Then see if you can thread commonalities together. Invite new members to the organising committee for fresher ideas.
5. Use analogy and metaphor
Analogies and metaphors allow you to illustrate ideas in a non-literal way. The book Rethinking Creativity states that analogical thinking means using information and solutions from one problem for another. University of Pittsburgh Psychology professor Christian Schunn says it helps you infer newer ideas, identify potential challenges, and articulate results to others.
Was last year's team building event chaotic? How do you avoid it happening again? What measures will you add to this year's activity?
6. Experiment
Experimentation is key, as a strict set of rules cannot box creative thinking. It lets you play around with possible solutions without a fixed framework.
Use the new ideas to improve how the committee conducts its team building activities
Example of critical thinking in communication
Good communication skills intertwine with critical thinking. Communication, verbal or non-verbal, helps you grasp problems and situations better. It also helps with the explanation step of the critical thinking process. You can articulate the rationale behind a solution better.
How to use critical thinking to communicate effectively
Since critical thinking provides a framework for solving problems, you can use it as a guide for communicating effectively. For example, you can break down messages into parts, or order and style them for a recipient to digest easily.
Below are some key steps you can take when composing your message:
Situation 1:
You are a recruitment officer about to talk to Gen Z university students to try to convince them to apply to your company. Your speech must interest and engage them.
1. Identify the message
What do you want to say? Sum up your main point in one sentence. Use it as a starting point for composing your message.
Based on the example above, your message should answer the question, "Why is your company ideal for Gen Z employees?" For example, Gen Z would thrive in your company because you offer flexibility, well-rounded compensation, and transparency.
2. Identify the audience
Tailor your message to the recipient. It makes you more conscientious about your vocabulary and writing style.
Traditional reportage with colourful pie charts and hefty promises won't hold weight here. According to Jobgram Creative Director Paul Jacobs during SEEK's Talent Talks, work culture, development opportunities, and innovation are what influence Gen Z.
3. Clarify the message
After drafting your main message, explain supplementary details such as the context.
Show how many Gen Z members you have on your team. Explain why your Gen Z-designed company helps enhance productivity and drive business goals. This generation loves understanding their role in the grand scheme of the organisation.
4. Support the message with evidence
Add facts, quotes, or examples. They inject credibility, authority, and trustworthiness.
Talk about your mentorship programme and your social entrepreneur campaigns. Show your fun facilities, like your nap and game rooms.
5. Consider counter-arguments
Some people might not see eye-to-eye with you. Be ready with possible counter-arguments.
Gen Z loves asking why, so come prepared with information.
Situation 2:
You just started a new job as a sales manager for a manufacturing firm. However, you’re having difficulty communicating with your conservative line manager. He rejects your ideas as too trendy or overly ambitious, and you can’t seem to connect with him and show the benefits of your suggestions.
1. Identify the message
What are you trying to tell your boss? Break down the issue into parts. Do you want him to simply listen to your ideas or actually allow you to implement them? Establishing rapport with your line manager is different from proving the usefulness of your suggestions. Tackle one step at a time.
2. Identify the audience
Let’s say you want your line manager to test out one of your ideas. Study your line manager. What key performance indicators (KPIs) does he pay attention to? Is he results-oriented? Data-driven? Does he respond to any of your colleagues better? What does that colleague do?
3. Clarify the message
Once you identify the best style to reach your line manager, formulate a strategy. Schedule a one-on-one to explain your points. If he prefers a more formal approach, you can make a full deck. He’ll appreciate the effort.
4. Support the message with evidence
Add case studies and evidence-based forecasts. Since he’s more conservative, you can include a point-by-point plan where you can start small and adjust accordingly.
5. Consider counter-arguments
As always, prepare for hesitation, opposition, and even a direct “no.” But the fact that you got him to sit down and listen to you is already a big leap.
Example of critical thinking in analysis and evaluation
Critical thinking is an indispensable part of analysis and evaluation, as it allows you to reach a conclusion using relevant information.
Definition of analysis and evaluation
Analysing involves carefully reviewing information and gauging its truthfulness and reliability to arrive at possible conclusions. Evaluation is when you decide on the best course of action to solve a problem.
How to use critical thinking to analyse and evaluate information
Situation:
You're a data analyst about to present this month's numbers. Your role is to interpret your findings and develop a strategy to grow the business.
1. Identify the purpose of the analysis
Like decision-making, you can shape your analysis using a purpose or objective. What is the analysis for? What do you wish to achieve?
If your goal is to drive sales, then highlight the details that increased the volume of sales. Was it the Facebook campaign you launched?
2. Gather information
Collect information to help enlighten you on the background of the situation. Use it to frame your analysis.
Was there inflation? A price hike in raw materials? What could possibly explain low points in the charts?
3. Organise information
Organise information using tools such as charts, tables, or mind maps. Sorting your data makes it easy to understand.
4. Analyse information
Once organised, review the data and look for any patterns or discrepancies. What does the information tell you?
Are sales better during specific hours of the day? Is there a common denominator during peaks and slumps?
5. Evaluate information
Having analysed the information, you should be ready to reach a conclusion. What were you able to deduce based on the data?
You can make recommendations based on the patterns you figured out. Push social media campaigns during strong moments and reduce efforts during slower ones. Try channel marketing to engage your consumers. Do sales grow when you introduce new things? Experiment by releasing special items during a weaker season.
Examples of critical thinking in self-reflection
Critical thinking isn't just an outward-facing tool. It also helps you reflect on your thoughts and actions.
How to use critical thinking to reflect on your thoughts and actions
Knowing how your mind works helps you become more aware of the things that excite, irk, or trigger you. Being attuned to your thoughts and actions will allow you to know when you’re being subjective instead of objective, which is essential in critical thinking.
Situation:
Your year-end performance review is coming up, and you must fill out a self-evaluation portion. You want it to come across as professionally as possible.
1. Identify personal biases and assumptions
Connecting to your thoughts and actions helps you determine personal biases and assumptions. The more defined these are, the more you can stay objective when necessary.
Look back on some of the issues you encountered at work. Which of these did your biases affect? For example, did you turn down a colleague's suggestion to launch a city mall event because you didn't like that mall?
2. Challenge personal biases and assumptions
Ironically, a paper in the British Educational Research Journal, which studied the challenges of teaching critical thinking in Singapore, shows that difficulty stems from the preconceived notion that teachers are responsible for the training, students are passive learners, and the subject matter is adversarial.
Awareness of your biases helps you catch them next time. This step trains you to become more and more impartial.
Understanding why you rejected the event, your next step can be to base your decisions on potential rather than personal motivations.
3. Reflect on past decisions and actions
Try journaling for mindfulness at work to capture your reflections on your past decisions and actions. How did these make you feel? How can you grow from those experiences?
4. Identify areas for improvement
The less attached you are to your personal biases and assumptions, the stronger a critical thinker you can be. Use self-reflection as a tool to identify your flaws and become better.
When answering your feedback form, indicate how self-reflection can make you a better worker. For example, now you know that filtering your words can help prevent conflict during meetings. Instead of making a knee-jerk comment, you reconsider how you phrase your question, tempering emotions and reactions in the process.
The benefits of developing critical thinking skills
Critical thinking may seem like a difficult process reserved for big life decisions or work projects, but it applies to daily life, even seemingly minor things. Here are some of its benefits:
Improved decision making
Good critical thinking helps you make more logical decisions. The opinions or thoughts of others won't easily sway you because you focus on the goal.
Enhanced problem-solving skills
It allows you to study all aspects, options, and outcomes when managing a challenge.
Improved communication skills
You can articulate solutions and challenges clearly because you've studied and understood them.
A better understanding of different perspectives
Knowing your personal biases and assumptions allows you to observe and appreciate other perspectives.
Increased creativity
Applying creative thinking methods such as brainstorming and mind mapping increases your creativity, allowing you to explore ideas in an unconventional manner.
The barriers to critical thinking
Be aware of the obstacles that could hamper your critical thinking.
- Personal biases and prejudices:These cloud your objectivity, prompting you to favour one thing over another.
- Emotional influences:Be aware of the people you look up to. They may affect how you feel about specific topics or subjects.
- Lack of knowledge and understanding:Limited or no information makes it hard to reach an informed decision.
- External pressures:People’s expectations or pressures can push you to less-than-ideal solutions.
- Lack of time:Mistakes happen when you don't have sufficient time to research or analyse data.
Critical thinking in practice
You may not realise it, but you apply critical thinking in most aspects of your life.
- Critical thinking in the workplace:You can practise problem-solving at work in several ways, from figuring out which job seekers to interview to strategising a possible retrenchment.
- Decision-making processes:Investigation, experimentation, and evaluation allow you to form more goal-driven decisions for the organisation.
- Conflict resolution:You can remain unbiased and impartial when you listen to both parties.
- Innovation:Creative thinking will push professionals to think outside the box when formulating new solutions.
- Critical thinking in your personal life:Big personal decisions, like choosing an apartment or raising a child, need thorough research and planning.
- Evaluating information:Critical thinking helps you sift through the evidence and develop a logical answer.
- Making informed decisions:Stop relying on your gut feeling, and exercise enough research methodically.
- Problem-solving:Review various alternatives when solving problems.
- Communication:You improve your comprehension and articulation skills.
Developing critical thinking skills
So how do you trainthinking? Practising helps you hone evaluative skills, especially now that you understand its never-ending benefits. Below are ways to kickstart critical thinking:
1. Active listening
Are you hearing but not listening? Active listening meansunderstandingand engaging in what someone is saying. It involves reacting, maintaining eye contact, and reserving personal judgement.
2. Asking questions
By asking questions, you show a keen interest in what the other person is saying, and bring up ways to enliven the dialogue. You not only collect more information, but you learn to think on your toes.
3. Challenging assumptions
You're sceptical and open-minded. You believe there’s no one right answer or correct belief.
4. Seeking feedback
Be open to what other people have to say. You’re not satisfied with just what you know, but you seek validation or the feedback of others.
5. Continuous learning and development
You understand you can always learn and gain insights from any person or situation. This way, you have more information when making decisions.
How to improve critical thinking skills
Keep applying the skills of collecting information and strategising to improve your critical thinking. Here are some practices to try:
1. Reflective thinking
Make it a habit to question your questions and actions. Don't fall into the trap of preconceived notions and biases in order to stay objective in your decisions.
2. Questioning assumptions
Perspectives and assumptions can affect impartiality. By questioning assumptions, you get to the facts, not opinions.
3. Analysing different viewpoints
When it comes to perspectives, everything is subjective, which is why gathering and analysing different viewpoints is necessary. Having various viewpoints allows you to solve the problem in a way that can benefit everyone.
4. Problem-solving techniques
By using different problem-solving techniques, you’re open to different approaches and know you can gain new insights from each one.
5. Decision-making frameworks
Use different methods and find the best one for each situation. This helps you ensure and maintain high-quality results, in line with the company’s values and vision.
Tools and techniques for critical thinking
Depending on the problem, there are different ways to go about critical thinking.
1. SWOT analysis
Studying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a project or undertaking allows you to cover all bases and review if it is worth repeating or needs modification.
2. Fishbone diagram
This investigates the probable causes of an effect or problem. You can use it to guide brainstorming sessions.
For example, a piece of office equipment was damaged when it was delivered to the company, with the effect written as “damaged printer.” Different options would list the different possible reasons for this: the printer itself, workers/handlers, materials used for packaging, environmental problems, scheduling. Under “workers/handlers,” specific causes could include negligence or lack of training. Under “environmental problems,” bad weather and bumpy roads could be listed as causes.
3. Mind mapping
Organise ideas into a map by structuring subtopics under one main topic or central idea.
4.Cost-benefit analysis
List the advantages and the cost of several items to determine whether they are worth the price. Is hiring a third-party agency more affordable than doing it in-house? This technique is good for budgeting and evaluating investments.
5. Decision trees
Machine-type learning uses a hierarchical or tree-like approach to map decisions and their corresponding consequences.
Benefits of a workplace culture that encourages critical thinking
Having a workforce that thinks critically can only help everyone involved. The company adopts a growth mindset, becomes more goal-oriented, reduces errors, and enhances productivity.
- Improved decision-making.Critical thinking helps you think of solutions that produce actual results.
- Increased innovation and creativity.Brainstorming and experimentation prompt you to think out of the box.
- Better problem-solving.Studying several options – all arrived at through careful research and testing – helps you formulate strategic solutions.
- Higher employee engagement and job satisfaction.Employees become more confident about facing challenges and resolving issues.
The future of critical thinking
With the advent of new technology comes a new way of thinking. Here’s how critical thinking will fare in the future.
The role of critical thinking in the digital age
In the age of social media, memes, and news published online, critical thinking serves as a way to determine the authenticity and soundness of data.
The impact of technology (including AI) on critical thinking
Artificial intelligence (AI) cannot replace critical thinking. It cannot analyse data and make decisions based on human emotions. Only humans can perform critical thinking skills such as evaluating information and decision-making using facts and reasoning.
The importance of critical thinking in a rapidly changing world
In a world where cybercrimes such as phishing abound, critical thinking will help people become sharper, more sceptical, and more vigilant.
Conclusion
Critical thinking skills help guide you to cultivate decisions that improve people's lives, help the company, or achieve whatever goal you have. You can apply it everywhere, from your personal life to your professional path, making it a bonus if you want to future-proof your skills. Better problem-solving capabilities also give you greater confidence when making hard choices.
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Frequently asked questions
- What are critical thinking skills, and why are they important?
Critical thinking skills include analysis, interpretation, experimentation, and inferential skills to solve problems or make decisions. The factual, logical, and well-researched approach leads you towards the most optimal solution.
- How can I improve my critical thinking skills?
You can improve your critical thinking skills by practising them in your personal life and at the workplace. Exercise self-reflection, ask questions, challenge assumptions, seek feedback, and stay open to learning.
- Can you teach critical thinking skills, or are they innate?
Yes, you can train critical thinking skills. Try different evaluation models and methods to see which works best for you. Some Singapore universities, like Singapore Management University and the Marketing Institute in Singapore, offer courses in critical thinking and reasoning.
- What are some examples of critical thinking in everyday life?
Examples include identifying potentially misleading news headlines on social media or phishing content in an email. Such items can victimise people unequipped with the necessary critical thinking skills.
- What are the most common barriers to critical thinking, and how can I overcome them?
Biases, preconceived notions, and prejudices hinder the objectivity and impartiality of critical thinking. To overcome these, you must stay attuned to your ways of thinking and your own biases and preferences so you can set these aside when faced with a triggering scenario, setting, or problem.
- How can critical thinking skills benefit my career development?
With critical thinking skills, you can make better decisions and solve problems since you use a strategic, logical approach based on facts and results. You're also not easily swayed by the emotions or opinions of others. It's an important quality, especially in the workplace where you have to make decisions.
- How can I encourage my colleagues to develop their critical thinking skills?
Invite them to brainstorming sessions. You could also use tools such as SWOT analysis or decision trees to tap into your team’s ideas.
- Are there any industries or job roles where critical thinking skills are essential?
Industries like accounting, data science, medicine, law, and engineering rely on data analysis. Their performance relies on using information via calculations or specific procedures that best address the situation or scenario.
- What are some common misconceptions about critical thinking?
Some misconceptions about critical thinking include:
It requires prior knowledge of a subject matter
It’s used only to win arguments
It’s applicable only to certain fields
- How can I measure my progress in developing my critical thinking skills?
Take a validated critical thinking skills test to measure the strength of your critical thinking skills. These tests include the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and the Business Critical Thinking Skills Test (BCTST).
