Contents
Analytical thinking is one of the ten most important skills of the future. We tell you why to develop it, how analytical thinking affects your career and everyday life
What is analytical thinking
Analytical thinking is the ability to process data. It helps to correctly understand, evaluate, systematize and structure information, find relationships and draw conclusions.
For example, analytical thinking can come in handy to roughly estimate the rise in the price of imported goods. Let’s say the dollar was worth ₽74, and now – ₽106, it has grown by 43%. So, if you bought a foreign microwave for ₽5, now you can calculate its approximate current cost – ₽000. So we combined the initial data into a simple system that helped analyze price increases.
Analytical thinking ranks first in the top ten most demanded soft skills of the future according to WEF. But this skill is not only important for careers – in fact, we use it all the time.
Why you need analytical thinking
Analytical thinking is necessary to assess situations, make informed decisions, predict and plan. Developing these skills will help make your studies, work, and daily life more structured and increase your level of psychological comfort.
So, psychologists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations believe that the lack of an action plan and a sense of predictability negatively affect the emotional state. Even the right analytics helps to increase efficiency. Here’s where it comes in handy.
Business development
Companies everywhere are implementing a data-driven approach to their work. It is a way to manage products and projects based on data analytics. It is relevant to improve the efficiency of internal processes. For example, some companies use services like AirTable to help collect and analyze information about the work of employees and projects.
Data analytics is also needed to improve products. On it, in particular, systems of recommendations of the companies distributing entertaining content are constructed. For example, the approach is actively used by Netflix. According to a report from video streaming platform Conviva, up to 89% of viewers choose shows based on recommendations based on data analytics.
Everyday life
The solution of everyday issues will be the more profitable, the more you include analytical thinking. It is applicable almost everywhere – from comparing offers when choosing a bank for lending to planning an ordinary route when going shopping. First, collect and analyze data about the upcoming shopping: when the shops have a lunch break, where you need to do more shopping, what transport runs between the points. Then decide in what order to visit them and which of the list is better to transfer to another day. With the right analysis, the more data you have at the start, the more comfortable and productive the trip will be.
Efficiency in work and study
It also largely depends on how you analyze the information. For example, if you have received a large project and want to submit it on time. You can just randomly try to implement different components, but it is better to apply analytics.
Break the project down into tasks and prioritize them by importance, complexity, and urgency. Take similar data from past launches and compare it to what’s to come. This way you can build the most suitable plan and understand what things are best to delegate and where problems are likely to arise.
How to assess the level of analytical thinking
There are many tests on the web that can help you assess your analytical skills. There is also the internationally recognized GMAT exam. It is used to evaluate candidates entering business schools and universities for programs like MBAs, masters and PhDs. Testing is paid and takes place in specialized centers, but you can try to pass training options that are freely available. It is easier to compare your abilities with the characteristics inherent in a person with developed analytical thinking. Such people:
- quickly break down large problems into small components;
- are able to collect reliable information and evaluate it correctly;
- are not lost in a large amount of data;
- easily find suitable solutions and alternatives;
- understand complex information such as scientific books and technical documents;
- correctly prioritize;
- build thoughts consistently and logically;
- seek to deeply understand any new topic for themselves;
- easily notice the relationship between things.
6 Ways to Develop Analytical Thinking
1. Solve problems
Find a collection of logic problems and a math textbook with exercises for your level. Set aside time to exercise and train your brain daily. You can also download apps like Photomath or NeuroNation. With them, it will be easy to pump at any suitable time, for example, in line or on a trip.
2. Play educational games and solve puzzles
You can solve puzzles or crossword puzzles, or if that seems too easy, create your own. Activities like picking up puzzles or a Rubik’s cube are also suitable. If you have the opportunity to train your brain with loved ones, board games like Scrabble, Monopoly, or chess are a good option.
3. Discuss
Discuss different things with others more often. It can be anything from books, movies and music to historical events, personalities and scientific theories. Argue and argue your point of view, trying to adhere to logic and consistency. Find out from the interlocutor why he thinks one way or another, in order to better understand his view of the subject. This will help you learn how to quickly build causal relationships.
4. Read books
This is not only about educational literature, but also about fiction. For example, high-quality detective novels will help you understand how experts solve complex criminal puzzles and put together a single picture from disparate fragmentary data. Other books will also be useful if, while reading them, you analyze the actions of the characters and the relationship between them, as well as try to reasonably predict the development of the plot.
5. Learn new things
Immerse yourself in areas unfamiliar to you and try to understand them. Choose a topic that interests you, for example, some segment of human history. Find videos, articles or books where experts share their knowledge and form your own understanding of the subject. Learning a foreign language will also help develop analytical thinking.
6. Simulate situations
Run through different scenarios in your head as a workout – up to the most improbable. Think about how you would get out of the situation and what actions you took, and also develop alternative options. For example, when returning home, imagine what you would do if you lost your keys. You can contact a lockpicking company, call on relatives for an additional set, or spend the night with friends. Mentally analyze which solution is the most effective and why.
Books for the development of analytical thinking
“Philosophy of Analytics”, Yuri Kurnosov
The author is a Doctor of Philosophy and head of the Russian Analytical School. In the book, he considers analytics in the context of philosophical doctrine and from the point of view of its applied application. You will learn how to effectively process information: collect, organize and evaluate data to build working models and make predictions.
The Art of Statistics. Finding Answers in Data by David Spiegelhalter
A guide to analytical thinking and working with data from a leading British expert in this field. The book will teach you to look at ordinary things through the prism of statistics and extract what you need from large amounts of information. You will find many illustrative examples and graphs that will help you understand the methods described.
“Book of Decisions. 50 Models of Strategic Thinking, Mikael Krogerus, Roman Cheppeler
The authors have collected fifty working models for resolving various situations and illustrated them with examples. The book teaches planning and prioritization, and the methods described in it serve as a good set of tips for developing strategies to overcome problems.
“Analytic Culture”, Karl Anderson
A guide to implementing a data-driven approach in any organization. The author explains why it is useful and gives practical advice that will help you make working with data efficient at various levels.
“Working with data in any field”, Kirill Eremenko
The book describes in detail all the stages of data analysis. With its help, you will get acquainted with the fundamental principles and methods in this area, but most importantly – they all understand in simple and understandable terms.