Everyone agrees that critical thinking matters. Far fewer people can say what it actually is, let alone how to get better at it. Yet critical thinking is not a talent reserved for philosophers or analysts. It is a set of habits that anyone can practise, at their desk and in every meeting.
What is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is the habit of not simply accepting information, but examining it: asking where it comes from, what it is based on and what else could be true. It is thinking about your own thinking, before you draw a conclusion or make a decision.
Why is critical thinking important at work?
Work is full of claims: reports, dashboards, sales pitches, strong opinions in meetings. Teams that think critically catch weak arguments early, avoid expensive mistakes and make decisions they can explain afterwards. Just as important: people who are allowed to question things feel more ownership of the outcome.
5 critical thinking skills, and how to practise them
1. Question the assumption
Every plan rests on things we take for granted: customers want this, the budget will stay the same, the problem is the software. Most mistakes start there.
Practise it: before your next decision, write down three assumptions behind it and ask of each one: how do we know?
2. Weigh the evidence
Not all information is equally strong. One enthusiastic customer is an anecdote; a pattern across many customers is evidence. And a pattern is not yet a cause: read our article on why correlation is not causation.
Practise it: for your next claim, ask: what is this based on, and how many cases?
3. Look for alternatives
Our first idea is rarely our best. Edward de Bono called the skill of deliberately looking at a problem from unexpected angles lateral thinking.
Practise it: before choosing a solution, force yourself to come up with two more options, including one that sounds a little absurd.
4. Spot your own bias
We all prefer information that confirms what we already believe, and we trust people who think like us. That is human, but it narrows our view.
Practise it: ask a colleague who usually disagrees with you to find the weakest point in your proposal, and thank them for it.
5. Build the argument step by step
A good conclusion follows from observations, through interpretation and arguments. When one step is missing, the conclusion is a guess.
Practise it: use the argument ladder: observation, interpretation, argument, conclusion. In a disagreement, ask on which step you differ.
Make it a team habit
Critical thinking grows fastest in teams where questions are welcome. Try this: once a month, pick one recent decision and review it together with the five skills above. Not to find someone to blame, but to learn how you decide. Within a few months, the questions become second nature.
Want to practise with real cases? Our Supermarketeer e-magazine trains you to think deeper before you decide, through cases, quotes and assignments. Find more on our Decision Making page, where our next RA Series title, Superminds, is coming soon.