Applying critical thinking skills in the era of misinformation

Why critical thinking matters in the workplace

Strong critical thinking skills contribute to business success, such as better decision-making, increased innovation, and enhanced problem-solving. These skills are listed as a requisite in most job listings, but what do these skills entail, and how can you develop them?

While critical thinking skills are often listed as one singular skill on job descriptions and resumes, this isn’t entirely accurate. This skill set encompasses a wide range of skills and abilities.

These include analytical skills, creativity, and the ability to understand your own biases. Therefore, explore more examples of critical thinking. Learn how to foster the development of critical thinking capability.

What are critical thinking skills?

Critical thinking skills involve analyzing available information, questioning assumptions, and objectively reaching sound conclusions. While critical thinking is important in all areas of life, it can be beneficial in work settings.

Critical thinkers ask questions about what they’re told or what they see and take the time to consider how smaller pieces fit into the bigger picture.

They are adept at finding creative and logically sound solutions to problems, offering a huge business advantage for companies looking to innovate.

Critical thinking skills examples

Here are some examples of common critical thinking skills that employees should possess:

  • Analysis: Breaking down complex problems into smaller pieces, identifying key issues, and understanding the relationship between elements.

  • Evaluation: Assessing the credibility and reliability of information presented and considering potential biases that may impact the validity of a statement.

  • Interpretation: Drawing meaningful conclusions from data, identifying patterns, and understanding the implications of information.

  • Inference: Making logical deductions based on evidence and drawing reasonable conclusions.

  • Explanation: Clearly and concisely communicating ideas and reasoning to others, justifying conclusions, and supporting arguments with evidence.

  • Problem-solving: Identifying and defining problems, generating creative solutions, evaluating options, and implementing the best solution.

  • Decision-making: Gathering information, considering alternatives, weighing the pros and cons, and making informed choices.

  • Creativity: The ability to think outside the box, generate new ideas, and approach problems from different perspectives.

  • Metacognition: Reflecting on one’s thought processes, identifying personal biases, and adjusting strategies to reach reasonable conclusions.

  • Open-mindedness: A willingness to set aside your inferences and remain open to other possibilities.

These skills contribute to your critical thinking and ability to make more informed decisions.

Why are critical thinking skills important?

The importance of critical thinking skills can not be understated. They’ll help you in all areas of your life and work. Here are the key reasons you may want to develop your critical thinking abilities.

Critical thinking abilities drive the decision-making process

When your team is trying to solve a problem at work, you want people who dive in and look at it from all angles. This means they need to use critical thinking skills.

For example, they should analyze the problem. They should consider different viewpoints. Moreover, they need to identify cognitive biases.

Finally, they should brainstorm potential solutions to make the best decision possible. You may overlook crucial information if you don’t apply these critical thinking skills. As a result, you may arrive at a solution that doesn’t fully solve the issue.

All job roles use critical thinking in some capacity

Critical thinking skills are required for almost every job. In fact, they are essential for all aspects of everyday life. For example, engineers use critical thinking skills to analyze and build systems.

They use these skills to address complex problems. Likewise, servers at a restaurant need to think critically to find solutions for customer concerns, such as allergies and other dining needs. Therefore, critical thinking skills are essential for everyone.

Critical thinkers often possess better teamwork and communication skills at work. This is because they understand different points of view.

Additionally, they synthesize complex information into more precise terms. Furthermore, they find ways to problem-solve with peers or clients, which ultimately leads to more productive and harmonious discussions.

We live in an age of misinformation

Critical thinking has also become even more important in our current world. Especially online, you cannot take everything you see or hear at face value.

After all, Facebook recently announced it would
end its fact-checking program, and Google is now displaying AI-generated summaries when you search for something on its search engine.

We all need to use our critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate information properly. This is especially important if we plan to use this information to draw conclusions or make decisions at work.

Remember that anyone can follow advice from a social media video. Moreover, anyone can ask ChatGPT for answers. However, taking that information and applying critical thinking skills is what sets you apart as a businessperson or employee.

How to develop critical thinking skills

Here are some techniques for improving your critical thinking skills. Remember that this is an ongoing process, and there will always be ways to strengthen your abilities further, so don’t rush the process.

Utilize active listening

You must digest the details correctly to think critically about information or a problem. This means listening intently and clarifying information to ensure you’re taking everything in correctly.

Active listening is an approach to listening that is meant to deepen your understanding of what the other person is saying.

Here are a few active listening techniques to try:

  • Giving your full attention to the speaker: In today’s world, many of us multitask while talking to friends or coworkers or attending meetings. However, active listening requires that you remain present in the discussion. When a team member is talking, direct your full attention to them and avoid looking at your phone or computer unless needed for note-taking.

  • Reflecting: Reflect on what you heard and then tell the person what you heard to clarify what you heard and show that you’re paying attention. You can use phrases like “So what you’re saying is…” or “What you’d like me to do is… ” This ensures that you’ve understood the message correctly and are on the same page as the speaker.

  • Watching for nonverbal cues: A big part of communication is nonverbal, such as body language, tone, or facial expressions. For critical thinkers, a person’s nonverbal communication can provide helpful information about what is being said and how the speaker’s biases or emotions could impact their statements.

  • Asking open-ended questions: In addition to basic reflection questions, it’s important to ask open-ended questions throughout a discussion. This allows the speaker or your team to discuss a particular area more in-depth or address a concern that arose while you were listening.

    For example, in a meeting about a marketing campaign, you could ask questions like “Who is the target market for this?” or “How did you choose which influencers to collaborate with for this campaign?” to deepen your understanding.

Practice problem solving

Look for opportunities to break down a problem, analyze its components, and find solutions. You can do this with hypothetical situations, but one easy way to practice problem-solving skills is to sit with a problem before asking someone else to handle it.

Of course, there are scenarios where you do need to call a manager or ask someone for help. However, many people become too reliant on others for help. Some even rely too heavily on AI or Google.

Instead, think critically about the information and how to tackle the issue. Give yourself a chance to use your cognitive skills. Then, you can talk to a supervisor. You can even present them with possible solutions if you need approval or further guidance.

Try logic games or riddles

Logic games are short games or questions designed to test your analytical reasoning, such as identifying common elements or patterns in a data set. Riddles can also be fun to test the brain and develop critical thinking skills.

You can print out worksheets or resources online for independent study or use them as a team for a workplace team-building activity related to critical thinking.

Improve your research skills and scrutinize your sources

Get in the habit of doing more thorough research when you need information, and try to vary your sources. It’s easy to search for something on Google and choose the first result, but critical thinkers often like to dig a bit deeper.

Review several sources to see how the information is presented differently, if any facts seem to conflict, and where biases may exist. Identifying and reading more reliable sources, such as research publications or academic sites, is also good.

When researching trending topics and news stories, be particularly intentional about considering your source’s potential biases.

Does this site have a particular political slant? Is content monetized in a way that benefits the website or influencer? For example, are they engaging in a paid sponsorship that might present something in a more positive light?

However, these things don’t mean a source isn’t valuable. They are still worth reading. But, as a critical thinker, you should be aware of the potential for bias.

More resources:
Digital age workplace: Why soft skills matter more than ever New tab icon
Skill gap analysis template: Build a customized tool for your team New tab icon
Skills gap analysis in 4 steps: How to identify and bridge talent gaps New tab icon

Want more insights like these? Visit Kaylyn McKenna’s author page to explore her other articles and expertise in business management.