CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
1. Analytical
Part of critical thinking is the ability to carefully examine something, whether it is a problem, a set of data, or a text. People with analytical skills can examine information, and then understand what it means, and what it represents.
- Asking thoughtful questions
- Data analysis
- Information seeking
- Interpretation
- Judgment
- Questioning evidence
- Recognizing differences and similarities
- Skepticism
2. Communication
Often, you will need to share your conclusions with your employers or with a group of colleagues. You need to be able to communicate with others to share your ideas effectively. You might also need to engage in critical thinking with a group. In this case, you will need to work with others and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems.
- Asking important questions
- Assessment
- Collaboration
- Explanation
- Expressing opinions and ideas
- Interpersonal
- Presentation
- Teamwork
- Verbal communication
- Written communication
3. Creativity
Critical thinking often involves some level of creativity .You might need to spot patterns in the information you are looking at or come up with a solution that no one else has thought of before. All of this involves a creative eye.
- Cognitive flexibility
- Conceptualization
- Curiosity
- Imagination
- Making abstract connections
- Making inferences
- Predicting
- Synthesizing
- Visionary
4. Open-Minded
To think critically, you need to be able to put aside any assumptions or judgments and merely analyze the information you receive. You need to be objective, evaluating ideas without bias.
- Embracing different cultural perspectives
- Fair
- Humble
- Inclusive
- Objective
- Observation
- Reflection
5. Problem Solving
Problem solving is another crucial critical thinking skill that involves analyzing a problem, generating and implementing a solution, and assessing the success of the plan. After all, employers don’t simply want employees who can think about information critically. They also need to be able to come up with practical solutions.
- Applying standards
- Attention to detail
- Clarification
- Collaboration
- Decision making
- Evaluation
- Grounded
- Identifying patterns
- Innovative
- Logical reasoning
