Analytical Thinking: Definition, Benefits, and How to Improve It

Analytical thinking ability is a crucial skill for you to have in the world of work.

Starting from the time of looking for a job or being a job seeker, including analytical skills can be a value in itself for you.

This ability is included in soft skills that can be obtained and developed from diverse experiences and self-reflection on work.

Having analytical thinking skills in the world of work will certainly provide benefits and help you achieve your professional goals better.

What exactly is analytical thinking and how to improve this ability? In this article, we will explain the definition of analytical thinking, the benefits it provides, and how to improve it.

Definition of Analytical Thinking

Quoted by Indeed, analytical skills are abilities that enable you to observe, research and interpret a subject to develop complex ideas and solutions.

Meanwhile, what is meant by analytical thinking is when you use these abilities simultaneously to get something done.

There are lots of jobs that require you to be able to think analytically. Not only professional, this ability will also be profitable to use in personal life.

You also can't just get analytical thinking skills. It takes trial and error and a long process before you can finally provide a solution to a particular problem.

Through experience and trial and error, those of you who have analytical thinking are people who can quickly analyze situations, topics and problems that generally occur in the world of work.

That's why having this ability will help you achieve the main goal in every job you do.

Benefits of Analytical Thinking

Analytical thinking skills will be very useful for data management and the IT field, but actually analytical skills are very valuable in various types of industries and career levels.

When you become a job seeker and have strong analytical thinking skills, companies will be more interested because these abilities have the potential to improve company operations.

The following are some of the benefits of analytical thinking:

• help perform complex tasks more effectively;
• solve complex problems in a more systematic way;
• anticipate problems and be able to plan their solutions;
• makes it easier for you to find alternatives or solution options when facing problems;
• assist in making data-based or data-based policies and decisions; And
• identify problems and resolve them effectively.

How Analytical Thinking Works

An important element in analytical thinking is the ability to identify the causes and impacts of a problem.

In a work context, when facing a problem, to apply analytical thinking, you need to first know the cause of the problem. The process for applying analytical skills is as follows:

• Identify existing topics, problems and issues.
• Gather information through tests and observations.
• Develop solutions or deepen understanding of existing topics.
• Try new solutions and ideas that have been learned.
• Review what solutions might work to assess and apply new knowledge.

How to Improve Analytical Thinking

There are several effective ways or methods to improve your analytical thinking skills. Here's how to improve it:

1. Read a Book or Play Brain Games

An important part of becoming someone who has analytical thinking is reading lots of books. Reading in your daily life will keep your mind going and force your brain to think about ideas.

Apart from that, reading can also provide a different perspective and thus broaden your way of thinking.

If you have difficulty reading these important books straight away, you can also start by playing games that train your brain.

Brain games will make you think deeper and prioritize logic. Many use this method of playing games to sharpen analytical skills.

2. Learn New Things

Continuing to learn and gain new knowledge can improve your analytical thinking skills and processes.

The more you learn, the more options and information you have in solving problems and analyzing situations.

It cannot be denied that after completing formal school/college, many people tend to become passive learners. That's why it's important to keep learning new things.

This will make you more motivated and increase knowledge that you did not know before.

3. Pay attention to details

Being more attentive to your surroundings and paying attention to details is a way to further improve your analytical thinking. Try to pay attention to the details of what is happening around you and practice being a good observer. This will help you be more sensitive in analyzing the situation.

4. Take Special Classes/Training

You can also gain knowledge and insight about analytical thinking through classes or training. Currently, of course, there are many webinars that provide learning topics related to analytical thinking and other soft skills that may be needed in the world of work.

5. Don't be afraid to ask questions

Whether during training or within the scope of work, not being afraid to ask questions and asking for mentoring from superiors or speakers is something you can do to improve this ability.

Showing what you want to know with questions will add perspective and confirm your understanding.

6. Create a framework for thinking

Analytical thinking focuses on solving problems systematically. That's why if you're still having trouble, you can create a framework for thinking.

The thinking framework aims to make it easier for you to map problems and find solutions to existing problems.

That's an explanation of analytical thinking. Apart from the ability to think analytically, at work it is also important to have a way of thinking that combines analytical thinking and more intuitive thinking such as design thinking.

The combination of the two can produce solutions as well as opportunities for more creativity and innovative ideas. You can take part in the Design Thinking for Business Innovation program to learn more about the right way of thinking in business.

What are you waiting for? Register for the Design Thinking for Business Innovation class at prasmul-eli now!