Release | Release date |
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1 |
Sort Table listing Training packages that include this unit by the Code column | Sort Table listing Training packages that include this unit by the Title column | Release |
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Furnishing Training Package | 6.0-8.0 | |
Public Sector Training Package | 4.0 | |
Creative Arts and Culture Training Package | 5.0-6.0 | |
Local Government | 1.0 | |
Sport, Fitness and Recreation Training Package | 5.0-6.0 | |
Business Services Training Package | 7.0-8.0 |
Sort Table listing Qualifications that include this unit by the Code column | Sort Table listing Qualifications that include this unit by the Title column | Usage Recommendation | Release |
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Diploma of Outdoor Leadership | Current | 1 | |
Diploma of Local Government - Elected Member | Current | 1 | |
Advanced Diploma of Translating | Current | 1 | |
Certificate IV in Live Production and Technical Services | Current | 1-2 | |
Certificate III in Sport, Aquatics and Recreation | Current | 1 | |
Certificate III in Music | Current | 1 | |
Certificate IV in Furniture Design and Manufacturing | Current | 1-3 | |
Certificate III in Community Dance, Theatre and Events | Current | 1 | |
Diploma of Translating | Current | 1 | |
Certificate III in Live Production and Technical Services | Current | 1 | |
1 in table listing Qualifications that include this unit 2 in table listing Qualifications that include this unit | | 50 | 100 |
Sort Table listing Skill sets that include this unit by the Code column | Sort Table listing Skill sets that include this unit by the Title column | Usage Recommendation | Release |
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Photographic Make-up and Styling Skill Set | Current | 1-2 | |
Elected Member Collaborative Decision Making | Current | 1 | |
1 in table listing Skill sets that include this unit | 20 | 50 | 100 |
Sort Table listing Accredited courses that have this unit in the completion mapping by the Code column | Sort Table listing Accredited courses that have this unit in the completion mapping by the Title column | Status |
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Certificate IV in Spoken and Written English for Further Study | Non-Current | |
Certificate III in Pathways to Further Study | Non-Current | |
Certificate II in Small Business Operations and Innovation | Current | |
Certificate III in Pathways to Further Study | Current | |
Certificate II in Self Awareness and Development | Current | |
Diploma of Entrepreneurship and Innovation | Non-Current | |
Certificate IV in Creative Ministry | Current | |
Certificate III in Dance Practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples | Current | |
Certificate III in Career Advancement | Current | |
Certificate III in Advanced English for Further Study | Current | |
Certificate III in Work Skills for Career Enhancement and Management | Non-Current | |
Diploma of Entrepreneurship and Innovation | Current | |
Certificate III in EAL (Employment) | Current | |
Certificate IV in EAL (Further Study) | Current | |
Certificate III in Work Skills for Career Enhancement and Management | Current | |
Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology | Current |
Scheme | Code | Classification value |
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ASCED Module/Unit of Competency Field of Education Identifier | 120599 | Employment Skills Programmes, N.e.c. |
Scheme | Code | Classification value | Start date | End date |
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ASCED Module/Unit of Competency Field of Education Identifier | 120599 | Employment Skills Programmes, N.e.c. | 17/Dec/2020 |
Modification history, application, unit sector, elements and performance criteria, foundation skills.
Assessment requirements, performance evidence.
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5 characteristics of critical thinking, what are critical thinking skills, and why are they important, 6 key critical thinking skills, critical thinking example in real-life, 13 ways to start thinking critically.
Whether you’re aiming to improve your performance at work or simply trying to live a more fulfilling life , you’ll need a variety of hard and soft skills to move the needle. Some skills come naturally to some people, while others need to develop them actively.
One of these skills is critical thinking. But critical thinking itself is made up of several types of skills that contribute to solving problems more effectively.
Let’s explore the different types of critical thinking skills and how you can start improving them to level up your career.
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze facts objectively and form a judgment. It is a form of emotional intelligence .
Someone with critical thinking skills can think clearly and rationally when the situation demands it. It allows them to perform problem-solving and decision-making more effectively.
As a result, you can look further than what you see at face value. You’re able to analyze what you see from a situation and gain some insight that goes further than what’s obvious to anyone from the outside.
Critical thinking also requires being able to understand the logical connection between two or more ideas or concepts. For example, a team working on a company’s pricing strategy needs to think critically about several concepts.
Both the marketing and sales teams must work together. They need to analyze how to maximize sales. But they need to do so while also meeting profit goals. It’s important to understand the logical connection between sales strategy and marketing logistics. It’s the only way to get a good outcome.
Critical thinking is different from creative thinking . Creative thinking is the ability to generate brand new, innovative ideas. On the other hand, critical thinking requires you to carefully and logically analyze what information is given to you. Both are important to maximize results in any given situation.
What defines critical thinking? How does it affect the decision-making process? Here are five characteristics that make up the ability to think critically.
Critical thinkers have specific traits that allow them to think the way they do. Some people are predisposed to these traits, while others need to develop them actively.
Some of these dispositions include:
Good critical thinkers need to make solid arguments.
An argument is making a statement aided by supporting evidence. It’s important to use well thought-out arguments when you’re in a constructive conflict . When analyzing a situation critically, you’ll need to make several arguments in your own mind to come to a judgment.
In addition to arguments, critical thinking also requires inferring conclusions. From the facts and arguments presented to you, you need to use reasoning skills to come to a logical conclusion.
This conclusion will determine the best course of action to take.
Critical thinking is sometimes a matter of discerning truth from fiction. Not all facts presented to you may have the same level of truth. Certain conditions need to be met for something to be considered believable, and a critical thinker needs to be able to understand that.
Metacognition is the ability to think about your own thinking. Critical thinkers should be able to analyze their thoughts so that they can judge whether or not they’ve thought everything through. This helps them come up with better hypotheses.
The critical thinking skills definition is: soft skills that help you in the critical thinking process. Developing these skills can improve your ability to think critically.
Critical thinking skills are considered one of many durable skills in the workplace . Many of these are soft skills that are also useful in other situations.
According to research by America Succeeds, critical thinking is in the top five most requested durable skills in job postings. Those top five durable skills get requested 2.6x more often than the top five hard skills. This goes to show that soft skills like critical thinking skills are in demand in the workplace.
Critical thinking skills are important for several reasons. These include helping you work independently and solve problems . Not all positions require ongoing critical thinking. But, those skills definitely matter to anyone who wants to uplevel their career. And even the most easygoing positions require at least some level of critical thinking skills.
For example, working as an accountant can be straightforward in most cases. But it may require critical thinking skills. For instance, what if certain expenses aren’t easily distributed in simple categories? Without critical thinking skills, an accountant will struggle to work independently and solve problems on their own.
Critical thinking abilities also matter in everyday life. Having a foundation for critical thinking can help you analyze several possible solutions for problems that pop up in the home. It can also help you:
The key critical thinking skills are identifying biases, inference, research, identification, curiosity, and judging relevance.
Let’s explore these six critical thinking skills you should learn and why they’re so important to the critical thinking process.
This critical thinking skill is necessary for metacognition, which is the fifth characteristic of critical thinking. It involves knowing when others have a cognitive bias and when you have one yourself.
Biases can influence how someone understands the facts presented to them. But when you’re aware of those biases, you can question yourself on those biases and consider other points of view.
Identifying biases is especially important for people who make hiring decisions. That’s because biases against groups of minorities can lead to inequalities in the workplace when not identified.
For example, imagine a hiring manager comparing two resumes. Their gut feeling could guide them to discount one of the resumes due to a bias against the opposite gender. But let’s say this hiring manager realizes they have this bias. They can then question themselves on whether or not this bias is influencing their judgment.
Inference is the ability to draw conclusions based on the information you have. Without inference, it can be difficult to take action once you’ve analyzed the facts presented to you. Processing information is key to coming up with a reasoned judgment.
For example, let’s go back to the accountant struggling to assign the correct category to a business expense. They can analyze other similar situations and infer the most logical category based on that information.
Before you analyze facts and infer a conclusion, you need to find out what those facts are. Researching skills allow you to discover facts and figures to make an argument.
Not all situations will have the required information available to you. Researching skills are necessary to dig into a situation and gather the information you need to think critically.
Some situations don’t require further research. For example, a first responder who arrives on the scene of an automobile accident won’t perform further research. They’ll have to analyze what they see in front of them and decide which injuries are the most urgent to care for.
On the other hand, someone performing a market analysis will need to research competitors and gather information before coming up with an opinion.
Identification is different from inference and research. It involves being able to identify a problem but also what’s influencing that problem.
In short, identification is necessary for someone to realize that they need to think critically about something. Without proper identification skills, it will be difficult for someone to know when it’s time to analyze a situation.
For example, let’s say you’re entering numbers in a spreadsheet. The numbers aren’t coming out as they usually do. Without identification skills, you could easily keep going without realizing there’s an issue. But when you identify what’s going on, you can see that something is broken in the spreadsheet’s formula.
Only once you identify the fact that the formula is broken can you start analyzing what’s going on to solve the issue.
Don’t be afraid to question everything and explore what you’re curious about. That’s because intellectual curiosity is a valuable skill, especially when it comes to critical thinking.
One way to practice curiosity is to adopt a beginner’s mindset . When you come into every situation with the mindset of a beginner, you’re able to keep an open mind. You’ll be able to perceive things you may not have noticed when keeping your mind closed.
Not all information is equally pertinent. In order to make a critical judgment, it’s important to be able to judge the relevance of the information you have.
Take, for instance, basic online researching skills. You have access to a plethora of information on virtually every topic imaginable. But performing online research requires you to constantly judge the relevance of what you see.
Without judging relevance, you’d spend too much time on details that don’t matter as much for the final desired outcome. But when you’re able to discern what’s most pertinent, you can give that information more weight as you’re thinking critically.
So what would critical thinking skills look like in a real-life situation?
Let’s imagine you’re working in software quality assurance (QA) as a team lead. But every time your team needs to enter bug regression, everyone gets bottlenecked because you must manually populate the spreadsheet used for the regression. While you do this task, your team cannot be productive without you.
This process happens once a week and easily wastes half an hour for each team member.
First, you must identify what’s going on. The team gets bottlenecked because only you, as the team lead, can access the information required to fill in the regression spreadsheet.
Next, you can research information. You can inquire to higher-ups about the reason why only you have access to this information. You can also speak to other teams about what potential solutions they’ve come up with to solve this problem.
Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to analyze the information and judge relevance. Some teams have solutions that don’t apply to you, so that information isn’t relevant anymore.
Figure out if there are any personal biases before you analyze your information.
For example, it’s possible that you don’t get along with one of the other team leads. As a result, you could discount the information they’ve given you. But by identifying this bias, you can look past your personal opinion of this person and see how valuable their solution is.
Based on what you’ve analyzed, it’s time to brainstorm and come up with a solution. You realize that creating a simple, automated script will save your team’s time. And it will do so without consuming too many resources from the engineering department.
Next, present your solution to your manager. Explain how you came to this conclusion.
Now, let’s say your spreadsheet automation solution is approved. It’s important to go back and analyze what happens after implementing the solution. But only do this once the spreadsheet has been in place for long enough to gather plenty of information.
Here’s an example. You could realize that the solution did solve the bottleneck. But, the script also slows down the spreadsheet and makes it difficult to work with. This would require you to go back to the drawing board and start the process all over again.
Want to start improving your own critical thinking skill sets? Here’s how you can improve critical thinking skills using 13 techniques:
Critical thinking skills aren’t always easy to develop. But it’s much easier to start thinking critically when you have someone to work with. Try a custom BetterUp demo to see how a coach can help you develop your critical thinking skills today.
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Maggie Wooll is a researcher, author, and speaker focused on the evolving future of work. Formerly the lead researcher at the Deloitte Center for the Edge, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Maggie is passionate about creating better work and greater opportunities for all.
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Critical thinking skills are essential for success in virtually any industry, and the HIGH5 strengths assessment can be a powerful tool for developing these abilities. By identifying an individual’s unique strengths, the HIGH5 assessment provides valuable insights into how they can leverage their natural talents to become more effective critical thinkers.
Critical thinkers who understand and apply their strengths tend to be more successful in their careers, better leaders, and more skilled at creating long-term visions. The strengths-based approach offered by HIGH5 can help individuals, teams, and organizations foster a culture of critical thinking, leading to improved decision-making, problem-solving, and overall performance.
Critical thinking abilities benefit us not only during the course of a decade-long career but rather, they are also beneficial in everyday life. Being able to put aside personal biases can lead to discovering new friends or cultures. It also helps you discern between fake news and accurate reporting. However, the critical thinking process comes more naturally for some than others. For those who may need some insight into critical thinking strategies, consider reading the following article.
Critical thinking is the ability to search for a connection between ideas, gather basic knowledge in stressful situations, spot errors in reasoning, and think rationally. Certain philosophers and scientists hold conflicting views on what causes individuals to think critically or lose this ability. This skill is becoming increasingly important during the digital era.
Being able to think for yourself, also called independent thinking, is another key element of critical thought. Reflective thinking, which involves reconsidering your own notions when confronted with conflicting ideas, is equally important.
Thinking critically involves constantly adapting your views or decisions based on the evidence presented to you. To be a clearer thinker, you must keep an open mind as well as actively learn and listen. Critical thinkers do not stick to certain beliefs unless the evidence continues to support such notions.
Pro Tip From HIGH5 Leverage your strengths identified by the HIGH5 assessment to approach critical thinking challenges. For example, if one of your strengths is ‘Analytical,’ use this strength to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable components.”
Observation.
Intuition does not usually fuel critical thinking. However, being able to quickly identify problems is truly important to critical thought. This is why being observant can be a beneficial trait. Not only can observant individuals recognize issues, but they are also skilled at addressing the root cause of the problem.
Through past experiences, observant people can learn the likely causes of certain issues. Then, they can quickly overcome such negative situations in the future.
After acknowledging a problem, the next step is to analyze it. Great analyzers often rely on specific data, statistics, or other facts to fuel their decisions. The HIGH5 strengths assessment can help individuals identify their analytical strengths. By leveraging these strengths, individuals can more effectively gather and interpret relevant information, leading to better decision-making and problem-solving.
Gaining expert opinions, reading unbiased research, exploring further data-collecting options, and objectively analyzing the data are other elements of analysis.
There is an immense difference between inference and inaccurate guesswork. Inferencing is a beneficial skill that requires you to learn from the past to benefit the future.
When inferencing, you will have to use the limited information available to you to craft a solution. While impulses force you to quickly make (often inaccurate) decisions, inferences are well thought out and rooted in planning/prior expertise.
Virtually everyone has to speak with a team during their job. When doing so, using proper communication skills can help the entire team agree on correct decisions. Your colleagues will be able to understand abstract ideas if you use simplified language, for instance.
Respect and active listening both play a role in your ability to communicate with the rest of your team. Additionally, you can communicate more effectively if you use a calm voice and present rational ideas.
The last step of a plan is nearly always execution. However, you cannot expect everything to go according to plan. Being able to solve any of the inevitable challenges you may face requires sound logic and problem-solving abilities. If you determine your original plan is no longer satisfactory, you will have to formulate a new plan using your problem-solving skills in combination with your critical thinking.
Critical thinking is all about rational thought. Quickly and accurately assessing information and later interpreting it are the first two steps of analytical thinking. However, you must remember to be skeptical of certain results, especially if they seem too good to be true or illogical. Analytical thought can help you separate useful data and information from the white noise.
Thinking critically is not simply just data collection. Understanding abstract concepts and relating patterns are equally important to the critical thinking process. Creative ideas can give you a competitive advantage over your competitors. Additionally, it boosts your efficiency.
Everybody has biases, whether they are conscious or subconscious. They can come from past experiences, societal stereotypes, or anywhere else. By recognizing these beliefs, you can improve your decision-making ability and become more open-minded. Try listening to others for their input on your strategies or decisions for a more open-minded approach to leadership.
Asking the right questions can lead to better outcomes when problems are identified. For instance, open-ended questions can help you identify the root of a problem for a more relevant answer than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
You can also learn how items work by asking structural questions. In general, a better understanding of the problem can help you formulate more accurate solutions.
Self-reflection is the process of reassessing the way you approach problems and think about solutions. This analysis can help you spot your problem-solving and critical-thinking weaknesses. Later, you can address these issues to streamline your critical thought process and find other ways you can approach situations.
The capacity to make well-thought-out decisions based on careful consideration of relevant information and potential outcomes.
The skill of selecting the best course of action among several alternatives to achieve a desired result.
The ability to recognize and mitigate personal and systemic biases that can affect decision-making and team dynamics.
To showcase your critical thinking skills in a job interview, provide specific examples of past experiences where you successfully identified problems and devised effective solutions. Highlight your ability to analyze information, weigh pros and cons, and make reasoned decisions. Demonstrating your reflective thinking and ability to identify biases can further emphasize your critical thinking capabilities.
To showcase your critical thinking skills in a resume, include specific examples in your experience section where you solved complex problems or improved processes. Highlight achievements that required analytical thinking, such as optimizing workflows, developing strategic plans, or implementing innovative solutions. Use action verbs like “analyzed,” “evaluated,” and “strategized” to convey your critical thinking abilities.
Developing effective solutions can be challenging, but everyone has the potential to enhance their critical thinking skills and boost their performance at work. One powerful tool for teams and organizations is the HIGH5 strengths assessment . By identifying and leveraging the unique strengths of each team member, organizations can foster a culture of critical thinking and collaboration.
When individuals understand their own strengths and the strengths of their colleagues, they can more effectively challenge cognitive biases, share diverse perspectives, and develop innovative solutions. These biases often lead to mistakes in reasoning which can be easily avoided. Biases can come in the form of stereotypes or simply sticking to the same plan over and over again.
Do not be afraid to venture out of your usual critical thinking strategies. Impulsion can become an obstacle to thinking clearly. Make sure you collect as much data as necessary before making a decision. After committing to a plan, make a conscious effort to reevaluate your idea. If you see the outcome is not optimal, reassess your strategy. Adapting to the evidence is a key part of critical thinking in the workplace.
Prepare for future situations by understanding the outcomes of your prior and current decisions. Always try to learn from your mistakes as well as the mistakes of others. Actively listen to your coworkers to gain additional insight from them. Their help can be instrumental in making the most beneficial decisions.
Pro Tip From HIGH5 As a team, discuss how each member’s strengths can contribute to critical thinking in the workplace. Encourage team members to share their perspectives and ideas based on their unique strengths, creating a more well-rounded approach to problem-solving.
Once you acquire some critical thinking abilities, it is time to consider ways to improve them. As with any personal growth, becoming a better critical thinker involves constant practice and persistence. Critical thinking is not solely related to soft skills. By improving your technical abilities and getting better at industry-specific tasks, you will be able to solve problems quickly. Another great way to gain critical thinking insight is by furthering your education in your field.
You do not have to go back to college, for simply taking a few online courses can expose you to new problems and ideas. Getting advice from other professionals can also be especially useful. Stay actively involved at your workplace. Whenever a problem arises, be the first person to volunteer a solution. Talk to your team about the strategy you find most efficient during meetings and do not be afraid to share your opinion.
In fact, even games can serve as critical thinking skills training. Many board games require rapid decision-making, rational thought, and inferencing. If you are still confused, do not hesitate to speak with a mentor or coworker. They can provide you with a more objective outlook on your strengths and weaknesses. Plus, your boss can compare your strategies to others he has seen to tell you how well-developed your thought process is.
Critical thinking is a crucial skill set for academic success, and the HIGH5 strengths assessment can be a valuable tool for students looking to develop these abilities. By identifying their unique strengths, students can gain a deeper understanding of how they learn, process information, and approach problems.
This self-awareness can help students more effectively apply critical thinking skills in their studies, such as recognizing patterns, weighing pros and cons, and defending their ideas. Incorporating the strengths-based approach into their academic journey can lead to greater engagement, motivation, and overall success.
To think critically, students must start to:
In a customer service role, keen observation skills can help identify recurring issues in customer complaints. By noticing patterns, a team member can propose changes to the process or product, leading to improved customer satisfaction and reduced complaint rates.
A project manager conducts a post-project review to evaluate what went well and what didn’t. Through self-reflection, they identify areas for personal improvement and team development, which enhances future project outcomes and team performance.
During a budget crisis, a department head analyzes current expenditures and forecasts future impacts. By making informed decisions to cut non-essential costs and reallocate resources, they ensure the department remains functional without compromising essential services.
How do you demonstrate critical thinking skills.
First, ensure that a section of your resume is dedicated to listing your soft skills. Putting critical thinking in this list will show the hiring manager you are proud of your strengths. However, that will not be enough.
To truly demonstrate your abilities, you must come into the interview prepared with specific examples of you using your critical thinking skills.
Be sure these examples also show the positive impact your critical thought had on the business. Try to use statistics when supporting the claim that you are a critical thinker.
Critical thinking is important to a job interview because most employers value critical thinking highly. They believe critical thinkers give their company a competitive advantage in the market.
This is so because critical thinking leads to more efficient problem-solving, creative ideas, and rational discussions among employees. In Australia alone, the demand for critical thinking skills rose 158% over 3 years, proving there is a strong demand for this skill.
A multitude of sub-skills can contribute to one’s ability to think critically. However, seven skills are recognized as the most crucial for seamless critical thought.
These skills are analysis, interpretation, inference, explanation, self-regulation, open-mindedness, and problem-solving. At times, self-regulation and explanation are not included in this list, leaving just the five skills as the most important.
To become a critical thinker, practice analyzing information objectively, questioning assumptions, and considering multiple perspectives. Engaging in reflective thinking and continuous learning also enhances critical thinking skills.
A critical thinker is someone who consistently evaluates information and arguments with an open mind and logical reasoning. They possess the ability to recognize biases, think independently, and make well-informed decisions.
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Critical thinking: you might have seen it listed in job ads or heard people talking about the importance of critical thinking. But what's critical thinking? And how do you go about adjusting the way you think about things to become less emotional, and more critical?
That’s a lot of questions, but this guide has the answers. Below, we’ll break down the complex concept of critical thinking into simpler chunks, as well as providing examples of critical thinking in action. By the end, you’ll have a much clearer picture of what critical thinking is and how it can help you grow in your career and personal life.
How to improve critical thinking skills , tools and techniques for critical thinking .
Let’s start with a simple definition of critical thinking to understand what it is and the basics of how it works. Critical thinking is simply a way of looking at things in a more rational, logical way.
Usually, when faced with a situation, decision or dilemma, you might let your emotions, biases and other factors get involved in the thinking process. That’s completely natural. We all have our own ways of thinking about things and looking at the world.
But, if you’ve ever wanted to see things differently with a clearer mind, free of emotions and biases, that’s what critical thinking is all about.
Thinking critically is about quieting those emotions that might impact your decision-making. It’s about looking at a situation or problem from rational angles, analysing all the information available and coming to a logical conclusion.
Here are six steps to critical thinking:
What are some different critical thinking skills? What does it look like when you put these skills into practice at work? Here are some of the ways in which critical thinking can manifest in the workplace:
Critical thinking is useful for making workplace decisions in a fair way. For example, who to hire for a certain role or whether to take one job over another.
Critical thinking can also be very useful when you’re dealing with challenging situations with colleagues or your manager. Rather than making emotional or biassed decisions, you can think about how to resolve the issues in the fairest and most reasonable way.
Critical thinking can also be a driving force for innovation. When you think about problems critically, you may come across unique solutions you might not have otherwise discovered.
Critical thinking at work can help you evaluate complex data and information. It can help you make well-informed decisions, identify potential risks and develop solutions around strategy, project management and problem-solving.
Critical thinking helps you gather and analyse relevant data and consider various perspectives. It allows you to weigh the pros and cons before arriving at a well-informed decision. So, whether you’re in a leadership role or part of a team, these critical thinking skills can help you make informed decisions:
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills can help you achieve your business objectives. It allows you to break down tough challenges and figure out what's really causing the issue. You’re able to come up with creative fixes and make decisions that work. Ultimately, keeping things efficient and effective.
Critical thinking can also make you a more effective communicator with those around you. You’re able to become a better listener and build your understanding of other people’s views and personalities. It may lead to better and happier friendships and relationships.
One of the best ways to see the benefits of critical thinking is when you’re faced with a problem. When you come up against some sort of challenge, you might find yourself stumped or struggling to find the right solution.
That’s all normal and natural, and critical thinking can help you approach challenges and problems more confidently. You’ll be able to see those kinds of situations from new angles revealing previously unseen solutions along the way.
Example : Suppose you're in an interview and faced with a challenging question about your weaknesses . Instead of avoiding the question, apply critical thinking to identify a genuine weakness. Explain your strategies for improvement, showcase your self-awareness and commitment to growth.
Decision-making. It can be hard. You might struggle when weighing up the pros, cons and potential outcomes of one decision or the other. If you feel that way, then critical thinking could help.
When you apply critical thinking to a big decision, you cut out all the noise and emotion , leaving nothing but the facts and stats. These skills allow you to analyse situations fairly and logically, reaching smart, sensible conclusions with the best potential outcomes.
Example: Imagine you have multiple job offers on the table. By applying critical thinking, you can carefully assess each offer by considering factors like company culture, growth and opportunities. Also, you could consider things like job responsibilities, and alignment with your long-term career goals.
Creativity is all about letting your imagination loose and thinking outside the box. It might not seem like critical thinking can help, but in action critical thinking can be the key to helping you unlock more of your imaginative potential. You might discover insights and ideas you wouldn’t have thought of without it.
There are several creative critical thinking techniques, like mind maps and brainstorms, that you can use in many situations. When brainstorming, try to see a situation from lots of angles. Think about a situation in different ways to come up with related ideas, which is one of the cornerstones of critical thinking.
Example: Imagine you’re a teacher trying to think of a new lesson plan to teach kids about a difficult subject. If you rely solely on your experiences and favourite systems, you may struggle to think of anything new. But, by thinking critically, you can explore new ways to approach the subject and teach it to your class.
Communication is another area where critical thinking can make a massive difference. When you let your emotions influence what you say, you might end up saying something you don’t mean. If you’ve ever felt like your mood has influenced discussions with colleagues or people outside work, critical thinking could help.
It helps you to focus more clearly and have more productive, pleasant conversations with others. It’s also helpful to apply critical thinking if you have a disagreement with someone or simply have differing ideas. It can help you see things from their perspective.
Example: Let’s say that two members of your team are arguing about which one of their solutions to a problem is best. With critical thinking, you can put your opinions to the side and help to resolve the conflict in a rational and level-headed way.
Analysing and evaluating information is an important part of everyday life. You might be given information that you need to process. But naturally you have biases that may prevent you from independently assessing the data you receive.
Critical thinking can help you see information in a different light, absorbing it in a rational and logical way. It'll allow you to allow you to evaluate it based purely on facts, rather than bias or preconception.
Example: Imagine you just got assigned a new task at work with a technology you haven’t used before. It’s easy to be overwhelmed, but by thinking critically and analysing the relevant instructions, you can set up a clear plan of action. This will help you become better prepared to tackle the challenge of learning something new.
Another important aspect of critical thinking is being able to reflect on your own thoughts, actions and beliefs. It’s important to question the motives and origins of certain ideas or biases that may be present and could be affecting your decision-making. Through critical introspection, you may uncover biases you were unaware of and can then take actions to improve your future actions or reactions.
Example: Imagine you're reflecting on your recent job performance. Instead of simply accepting your accomplishments at face value, you apply critical thinking. You assess not only what you achieved but also how you achieved it. You question whether there were missed opportunities for improvement, and you identify areas where you can further develop your skills.
So, why might you want to focus on improving your critical thinking capability through critical thinking exercises? Critical thinking can offer an array of unique benefits, making you a stronger, better and happier worker . Some of the benefits of critical thinking are:
Improved decision making: Critical thinking can help you make more informed decisions. Rather than rushing to hasty calls or letting your emotions and other factors cloud your judgement.
Enhanced problem-solving skills: When you’re able to think critically about things, you can become a much more effective problem solver. You’ll be able to see problems from different angles, gathering information effectively to arrive at a logical solution.
Improved communication skills: Often, emotions and biases can negatively impact our communications with the people around us. But, with a critical thinking approach, it’s much easier to communicate clearly and effectively, even with those who have different views.
Better understanding of different perspectives: A big part of becoming a critical thinker is becoming a better listener. It can be hugely helpful in starting to understand and accept other ways of looking at things.
Increased creativity: Critical thinking can also be helpful for creativity . When looking at problems and situations rationally and analysing information, you might often come across unique and creative ideas you hadn’t previously imagined.
Critical thinking isn’t always easy to practise and you might find you encounter a range of barriers when trying to approach problems critically:
Personal bias is the number one barrier to critical thinking, and it can be very hard to avoid. When thinking about a problem or trying to make decisions, especially involving other people, our opinions and biases can impact our view.
Emotions can also get in the way when trying to think critically. It’s simply a part of human nature, and it’s very difficult to try to 'switch your feelings off'. It can be challenging to make a rational, logical decision in certain circumstances. But, by improving your critical thinking skills, you can learn to detach emotions from decision making.
In some cases, a simple lack of knowledge can make you unable to approach a situation in a balanced and rational way.
There may also be external factors beyond our control which influence the decisions you make and the way you think about things. For example, deadlines or the opinions of stakeholders and decision-makers.
Sometimes, a simple lack of time is all that’s needed to interfere with the critical thinking process. It takes time to look at things critically and gather information.
Once you’ve got the basics of critical thinking skills, there are still many ways to improve them over time. So, how can you develop critical thinking skills further? The main way to improve is through understanding what critical thinking involves. It’s about using your skills as much as possible in many aspects of everyday life, including work and personal life.
When you face a problem or situation, make the choice to think about it critically, rather than simply acting on instinct or making emotional decisions.
Reflect, analyse different viewpoints and question assumptions or ideas that might be influencing your train of thought. With time and repetition, it’s possible to hone your critical thinking abilities. Here are three important tips to further develop critical thinking:
If you’re eager to start working on your own critical thinking skills, a good way to get started is to become a more active listener . Don’t just hear what people are saying - listen actively to understand, considering the why and how behind their words, ideas and opinions. Ask questions to get more data, and challenge assumptions or misconceptions.
Take time to consider your approach. From the words you say to the actions you take, to the behaviour and opinions of those around you. By focusing more on these different aspects, rather than simply letting them pass you by, you can start to master the basics of critical thinking.
When dealing with a difficult situation, like a challenge at work or a relationship issue, try to apply the fundamentals of critical thinking. Be patient. Don’t rush to a conclusion or decision. Think carefully and deliberately to reach a decision that seems fair.
It’s also important to remember that critical thinking takes time to develop and practise. Becoming a good critical thinker is a continuous process of learning and development, requiring constant commitment and the ability to self-regulate and self-evaluate.
There are various useful tools and methods that can help you put critical thinking processes and concepts into action, including:
SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is when you take those factors into account to come to a fair assessment of the situation. It's often a useful way to evaluate how well a project is performing and where it can be improved.
A fishbone diagram is a useful tool that can help you visualise a problem and learn about its causes. It makes it easier to find a solution. The 'fishbone' name comes from the fact that the diagram involves a central line with adjoining lines and arrows coming off either side. These represent various factors that contribute to the problem or situation, making the final diagram look like a fish skeleton.
Mind mapping is another kind of diagram that can be useful for visualising situations and extrapolating information about a given subject or problem. Start with the main subject in the centre, and then branch off with connected thoughts and considerations. You can also think about adding sub-topics and notes, resulting in a 'map' of the situation.
A cost-benefit analysis is another handy technique that many businesses use when trying to make decisions. It has a lot in common with critical thinking, as it's all about taking in information and making rational conclusions based on the available data.
As the name implies, a cost-benefit analysis focuses on measuring how much a decision or action will cost and what benefits it can provide. You can then analyse that information to determine if the decision offers good value and makes sense or not.
A decision tree is a simple framework in which you write down a potential decision and then branch off from it. It allows you to imagine what would happen based on various decisions.
Decision trees can help you visualise the prospective consequences of every decision, giving you the information to make the best possible choice.
It can be hugely beneficial to be part of a workplace that encourages critical thinking as part of the culture. It can lead to many advantages, including:
Improved decision-making: When critical thinking is part of the culture, employees are more likely to think carefully about big decisions and make the smartest calls.
Increased innovation and creativity: Critical thinking skills can also help you develop innovation and creativity. They encourage outside-the-box thinking, rather than restricting your own biases and limitations.
Better problem solving: One of the best benefits of critical thinking in the workplace is how it can help you solve problems more effectively. You’re able to take all the necessary info into account to arrive at a sensible and efficient solution.
Higher employee engagement and job satisfaction : When you’re encouraged to think critically, you’re more likely to engage at work and happier overall.
As the world changes and new technologies emerge, the concept of critical thinking could change in the years to come. There's a concern among various experts in the field of AI that the proliferation of AI could give people weaker critical thinking skills. As people grow to rely on technological tools like AI bots to solve problems and make decisions for you.
It could be particularly impactful on children and younger generations. Children grow up in a world with so many technological tools and services to help with almost every aspect of their lives. But even if critical thinking becomes trickier to learn in the future, it'll still be a very valuable and useful skill for all.
There's no doubt that critical and creative thinking skills are important in any workplace. These skills allow you to think about problems in the most fair and reasonable way, making the logical and rational conclusions. These skills can be perfect for problem-solving and dealing with big and tricky decisions.
If you’re wanting to improve the way you deal with everyday situations in a more logical way, then applying critical thinking skills is a great practise.
Critical thinking involves a range of different skills that can be applied to various situations. Here are 5 critical thinking skills: decision-making, conflict resolution, innovation, evaluating information and making informed decisions
Critical thinkers have the ability to look at situations in an objective and rational way. They can analyse available data to draw logical conclusions, without letting their own biases interfere. They are able to make rational, logical decisions and solve problems fairly.
There are many ways to work on your critical thinking skills. Practise is key, and skills can improve with repetition. Start by approaching problems and decisions in more rational ways. Clear your mind of biases and focus purely on the facts and information available to you.
An example of a critical thinking decision in everyday life might be trying to find a new job. You can carry out research and read company reviews. You can also source varying job descriptions and look at specifications like the salary to make the right choice for you. Other examples include deciding on diet and lifestyle factors, buying big purchases or solving problems at home.
The main barriers to critical thinking are personal or shared biases, emotions and preconceptions. Through your experiences and interactions with other people, you may develop certain ideas or notions that can impact your thinking and decision-making abilities. Emotions like fear or social pressure can also obstruct critical thinking. Overcoming these barriers involves practise and the ability to free your mind of biases.
Many employers value critical thinking skills. By using them effectively in the workplace, you may find it easier to deal with difficult colleagues and add value to your company.
A good way is to lead by example. Demonstrate logical and rational thinking to solve problems. You can pull out resources like fishbone diagrams or mind-mapping, where people may feel inspired to follow your approach.
Industries including Education and Science are particularly reliant on critical thinking, along with Healthcare, Engineering and Finance, but this skill can be valuable in almost any line of work.
You might believe that critical thinking has little practical use, or that it's only useful in settings like scientific research and education. But, having an open and analytical mind can be hugely beneficial in many industries and situations.
A good way to measure your critical thinking skills is to think critically about where you’ve used them and the improvements you’ve seen. Consider problems they’ve helped you solve, and the impacts of the decisions you made through critical thinking. You could also ask for feedback from the people around you.
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Posted on May 17, 2019
Critical thinking is the ability to make informed decisions by evaluating several different sources of information objectively. As such, critical thinkers possess many other essential skills, including analysis, creativity, problem-solving and empathy.
Employers have always found critical thinking extremely valuable – after all, no boss wants to constantly handhold their employees because they are unable to make their own judgements about how best to proceed.
However, all too often people talk about critical thinking in theory, while never really explaining what that knowledge looks like in practice. As a result, many have never really understood the importance of thinking critically in business. Which is why we’ve created this list of examples of how critical thinking skills are used in the workplace.
Imagine you’re at work. Someone, potentially your manager, presents you with a problem. You immediately go off and start looking for solutions. But do you take a step back first to analyse the situation, gathering and reviewing as much information as possible? Do you ask each of the different people involved what their opinion is, or how the problem affects their and the broader business’ day-to-day? And do you decide to run with the first solution you find, or take the time to come up with a number of different options and test each before making your final judgement?
While a lot of people may think they have problem-solving skills, if you aren’t taking the time to follow the above steps, you’re not really being a critical thinker. As such, you may not find the best solution to your problem.
Employing critical thinking skills when solving a problem is absolutely essential – what you decide could impact hundreds of people and even have an effect on the financial health of the business. If you’re not looking at it from multiple perspectives, you’re never going to be able to understand the full impact of a decision.
Economic uncertainty, climate change, political upheaval … risks abound in the modern workforce, and it’s an employee’s critical thinking skills that will enable a business to assess these hazards and act on them.
Risk assessment occurs in a number of different scenarios. For example, a construction company has to identify all potential hazards on a building site to ensure its employees are working as safely as possible. Without this analysis, there could be injuries or even deaths, causing severe distress to the workforce and negatively impacting the company’s reputation (not to mention any of the legal consequences).
In the finance industry, organisations have to assess the potential impacts of new legislation on the way they work, as well as how the new law will affect their clients. This requires critical thinking skills such as analysis, creativity (imagining different scenarios arising from the legislation) and problem-solving (finding a way to work with the new legislation). If the financial institution in this example doesn’t utilise these critical thinking skills, it could end up losing profit or even suffering legal consequences from non-compliance.
In the digital age critical thinking has become even more, well, critical. While machines have the ability to collate huge amounts of information and reproduce it in a readable format, the ability to analyse and act on this data is still a skill only humans possess.
Take an accountant. Many of their more mundane tasks have passed to technology. Accounting platforms have the ability to produce profit and loss statements, prepare accounts, issue invoices and create balance sheets. But that doesn’t mean accountants are out of a job. Instead, they can now focus their efforts on adding real value to their clients by interpreting the data this technology has collated and using it to give recommendations on how to improve. On a wider scale, they can look at historic financial trends and use this data to forecast potential risks or stumbling blocks moving forward.
The core skill in all of these activities is critical thinking – being able to analyse a large amount of information and draw conclusions in order to make better decisions for the future. Without these critical thinkers, an organisation may easily fall behind its competitors, who are able to respond to risks more easily and provide more value to clients.
One of the most important aspects of the critical thinking process is being able to look at a situation objectively. This also happens to be crucial when making a new hire. Not only do you have to analyse a large number of CVs and cover letters in order to select the best candidates from a pool, you also need to be able to do this objectively. This means not giving preferential treatment to someone because of their age, gender, origin or any other factor. Given that bias is often unconscious, if you can demonstrate that you are able to make decisions like this with as little subjectivity as possible, you can show that you possess objectivity – a key critical thinking skill.
Hiring the right talent is essential for a company’s survival. You don’t want to lose out on top candidates because of someone’s unconscious bias, showing just how essential this type of knowledge is in business.
As you can see, critical thinking skills are incredibly important to organisations across all industries. In today’s constantly changing world, businesses need people who can adapt and apply their thinking to new situations. No matter where you’re at in your career, you need critical thinking skills to complete your everyday tasks effectively, and when it comes to getting your next promotion, they’re vital.
But the problem with critical thinking skills, just like all soft skills, is that they are hard to prove. While you can show your employer you have a certificate in computer programming, you can’t say the same of critical thinking.
Until now. Enter Deakin’s professional practice credentials. These are university-level micro-credentials that provide an authoritative assessment of your proficiencies in a range of areas. This includes critical thinking, as well as a number of other soft skills, such as communication, innovation, teamwork and self-management.
Find out more about our credentials here or contact a member of the team today to find out how you can prove your critical thinking skills and take your career to the next level.
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Apply Critical Thinking Skills in a Team Environment will teach you how to develop the skills and knowledge required to apply critical thinking in a team environment to generate effective solutions to workplace problems. Ideal for individuals looking to enhance their problem-solving, evaluation, and analytical skills, this unit focuses on collaborative approaches to resolve issues through creative and structured thinking.
Unit - Apply Critical Thinking Skills in a Team Environment
1. Prepare to address workplace problem | 1.1 Identify and select workplace problem to address within scope of job role of team members1.2 Identify organisational and legislative frameworks applicable to selected problem 1.3 Develop questions to identify key issues and challenges of selected problem 1.4 Consult key stakeholders using questions to gather information on selected problem |
2. Evaluate solutions for workplace problem | 2.1 Identify a range of critical thinking techniques to generate solutions to selected problem2.2 Develop solutions using knowledge and experience of team members 2.3 Explain development process for individual solutions generated to team members 2.4 Apply agreed criteria for selecting most suitable option in consultation with team members 2.5 Critically evaluate solutions generated and select solution to be implemented |
3. Finalise and review solution development process | 3.1 Present solution to relevant stakeholders with explanation of critical thinking processes involved3.2 Respond to challenges and questions from stakeholders 3.3 Evaluate critical thinking processes with team members and using feedback received 3.4 Identify critical thinking learnings to apply to individual and team situations |
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Critical thinking skills examples. There are six main skills you can develop to successfully analyze facts and situations and come up with logical conclusions: 1. Analytical thinking. Being able to properly analyze information is the most important aspect of critical thinking. This implies gathering information and interpreting it, but also ...
Instead, most managers employ a sink-or-swim approach, ultimately creating work-arounds to keep those who can't figure out how to "swim" from making important decisions. But it doesn't ...
7. Optimizing processes for efficiency. Critical thinking examples in the workplace clearly show how teams can improve their processes. Customer service. Imagine a company that sells gadgets. When customers have problems, the customer service team reads their feedback.
It makes you a well-rounded individual, one who has looked at all of their options and possible solutions before making a choice. According to the University of the People in California, having critical thinking skills is important because they are [ 1 ]: Universal. Crucial for the economy. Essential for improving language and presentation skills.
Critical thinking is an essential skill that enhances a team's ability to collaborate efficiently and effectively. By honing their critical thinking skills, team members can analyze information, solve problems, and make well-informed decisions. In the context of teamwork, critical thinking also plays a crucial role in improving communication ...
Example: A journalist verifies information from multiple credible sources before publishing an article on a controversial topic. 8. Decision-making. Effective decision making is the culmination of various critical thinking skills that allow an individual to draw logical conclusions and generalizations.
Critical thinking involves rigorously and skilfully using information, experience, observation, and reasoning to guide your decisions, actions and beliefs. It's a useful skill in the workplace and in life. You'll need to be curious and creative to explore alternative possibilities, but rational to apply logic, and self-aware to identify when ...
Critical thinking skills are used daily in myriad ways and can be applied to situations such as a CEO approaching a group project or a nurse deciding in which order to treat their patients. Examples of common critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills differ from individual to individual and are utilised in various ways. Examples of ...
Here are 12 tips for building stronger self-awareness and learning how to improve critical thinking: 1. Be cautious. There's nothing wrong with a little bit of skepticism. One of the core principles of critical thinking is asking questions and dissecting the available information.
3.4 Identify critical thinking learnings to apply to individual and team situations Foundation Skills This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance but not explicit in the performance criteria. Skill Description Learning Uses questioning as a strategy to expand knowledge
2.1 Identify a range of critical thinking techniques to generate solutions to selected problem. 2.2 Develop solutions using knowledge and experience of team members. 2.3 Explain development process for individual solutions generated to team members. 2.4 Apply agreed criteria for selecting most suitable option in consultation with team members.
The key critical thinking skills are analysis, interpretation, inference, explanation, self-regulation, open-mindedness, and problem-solving. To apply the basic principles of critical thinking, follow these steps: identify the problem, gather data, analyze and evaluate, identify assumptions, establish significance, make a decision, and ...
The key critical thinking skills are identifying biases, inference, research, identification, curiosity, and judging relevance. Let's explore these six critical thinking skills you should learn and why they're so important to the critical thinking process. 1. Identifying biases.
Adapting to the evidence is a key part of critical thinking in the workplace. Prepare for future situations by understanding the outcomes of your prior and current decisions. Always try to learn from your mistakes as well as the mistakes of others. Actively listen to your coworkers to gain additional insight from them.
Many of the details at the bottom can likely be ruled out, and you can focus your efforts on evaluating what falls in the middle. 5. Communication. Communication is an important skill for critical thinking because you need to be able to put your thoughts into words and find the information you need.
Here are some steps you can take when using critical thinking for problem-solving at work: Identify a problem or issue. Create inferences on why the problem exists and how it can be solved. Collect information or data on the issue through research. Organize and sort data and findings. Develop and execute solutions.
Here are six steps to critical thinking: Analysis: The gathering and understanding of data and information. Interpretation: Drawing out meaning from the available data. Inference: The ability to make conclusions based on the data analysed. Explanation: Being able to communicate one's conclusions and findings with others.
Best ways for teams to approach critical thinking. 1. Question each other. Questioning what someone says enables you to think critically, so get your team to question each other. For example, if someone makes an assumption or says something you don't agree with, ask them why they think that way in a non-confrontational manner.
Critical thinking example 4: Talent hiring. One of the most important aspects of the critical thinking process is being able to look at a situation objectively. This also happens to be crucial when making a new hire. Not only do you have to analyse a large number of CVs and cover letters in order to select the best candidates from a pool, you ...
2.1 Identify a range of critical thinking techniques to generate solutions to selected problem 1b 6, 7 3. 2.2 Develop solutions using knowledge and experience of team members 1b 8, 9, 11 3. Evaluate solutions for 2.3 Explain development process for individual workplace solutions generated to team members 1a 10 3 problems.
and knowledge required to apply critical thinking skills to generate solutions to workplace problems in a team environment. The unit applies to individuals who are required to develop and extend their critical and creative thinking skills to different issues and situations. These individuals apply a range of problem solving,
This unit describes skills and knowledge required to apply critical thinking skills to generate solutions to workplace problems in a team environment. The unit applies to individuals who are required to develop and extend their critical and creative thinking skills to different issues and situations. These individuals apply a range of problem ...
Unit - Apply Critical Thinking Skills in a Team Environment. 1. Prepare to address workplace problem. 1.1 Identify and select workplace problem to address within scope of job role of team members1.2 Identify organisational and legislative frameworks applicable to selected problem. 1.3 Develop questions to identify key issues and challenges of ...