5 Effective Critical Thinking Techniques

Critical thinking is the art of filtering information to arrive at a logical and neutral decision to guide thinking and action better.

So, in this article, we present some effective techniques to help you learn critical thinking. Before you continue reading, it is important to know that critical thinking is a mental state, not a tool or strategy.

If you are preoccupied with daily matters related to your professional and personal lives, learning critical thinking can help you overcome these problems, focus on solving them, and achieve your goals. It stands to reason that critical thinking and logical justification improve as learning techniques improve.

In this article, we will talk about 5 effective techniques that form the basis of critical thinking, which are:

• Analytical thinking.
• Communication.
• Creativity.
• Openness.
• Problem solving.

Once you learn these techniques and start using them in your daily life, you will begin to notice a change in how you deal with problems and how you solve them.

5 Effective Critical Thinking Techniques

1. Analytical thinking

Analytical thinking entails collecting and dividing data into small parts you can understand. To use this technique in critical thinking:

• Be very clear about why you need the data so that you can recognize your limits and use your wisdom and insight to overcome them.
• Collect data from multiple sources such as colleagues, experts, podcasts, relevant literature, or any useful source.
• Rephrase the questions several times to get different perspectives on the available data so you can arrive at different solutions.
• Divide the data into factual subsets and relate each to the problem at hand.
• Put your ideas down on paper to make new connections and relationships. Write, set mental maps, or use spreadsheets. Visual data can help you make new connections that make sense of emerging patterns.
• Arrange your workspace. Once you collect data, your workspace and mind will be cluttered with excess information. So, arrange the space around you and clear your mind through meditation.

2. Communication

Since communication gives you access to what people around you are thinking, it is a crucial critical thinking skill. Data can be conveyed visually, audibly, and by closely observing body language. To use this technique:

• Ask about different points of view and look for justifications related to a particular topic. When you inquire about the matter, you can explore all options to reach the best solution.
• Listen without interrupting the other party. Ask questions or express your concerns as soon as the speaker finishes. This will help you achieve better communication and relationships.
• Focus 100% on oral or written discussions so you can better hear or read the opinions of the people involved.
• Paraphrase the speaker or writer's point of view and ask for evidence. This enables you to give full attention and use the input to think critically.
• Recognize and interpret nonverbal cues and signals from body language, such as a barely perceptible frown, a tiny head nod, tapping on a table with a pen, and many more. This will give you clues about what people think when their thoughts don't align with their words and actions.
• Watch and listen carefully. Active observation helps you determine the intended benefit of the data being conveyed, gives you clues regarding public opinion about the topic under discussion, and opens you up to new possibilities.

The data you have collected using communication will be invaluable and useful in critical thinking to reach a comprehensive and impartial decision.

3. Creativity

Critical thinking is an art form that is greatly dependent on creativity. To learn critical thinking, you need to include elements of creativity in the critical process. So:

• To step outside of your comfort zone, brainstorm ideas with your team in a new location or with an expert. The ideas that will occur to you will surprise you.
• Collect and classify data using colorful, eye-catching charts, graphs, and maps. This easy exercise trains your brain to collect data in multiple ways, leading to several distinct conclusions. It also allows you the freedom to select the best solution.
• Play mind games, like chess or Sudoku, to evaluate your ability to influence various elements to achieve your desired outcome. These games give your mind the ability to generate multiple solutions to problems and help you connect nerves that are not connected.
• Form neural connections by learning a new skill, language, or food recipe.

If you want to be good at critical thinking, you need to embrace creativity.

4. Openness

It's easy to claim that you are open-minded, but can you prove it?

To be an open-minded person:

• Be extremely honest about your strengths, weaknesses, and how they impact your ideas.
• Listen to an opinion that conflicts with your own without passing judgment before fully expressing the opinion.
• Acknowledge that there is more than one way to solve any problem.
• Express your true feelings when implementing any desired changes.
• Ignore old beliefs and assumptions and let go of limiting habits.
• Compare important decision-making factors carefully to select the best solution.

Openness is an effective critical thinking technique that helps uncover new possibilities and resolve personal and professional matters in a way that does not frustrate you or alienate the other party.

5. Problem-solving

Critical thinking depends a lot on problem-solving. An effective critical thinker can solve problems using their insight and wisdom to anticipate obstacles and negative outcomes. Their experience and mental presence help them solve problems quickly and move forward.

One of the most effective problem-solving methodologies is the Five Whys technique developed by Sakichi Toyoda, founder of Toyota Motors, in the 1950s. He used it successfully to get to the root cause of problems. The idea is to approach the issue from its end and work your way down to its root cause by asking more and more questions.

The general idea is that you only need to ask "Why?" five times to get to the root of the problem. However, this methodology calls for asking "Why?" multiple times until you respond satisfactorily. It is not limited to asking it just five times.

The first step in applying the Five Whys Technique is to list the issue and place the question "Why" in front of it. Subsequently, you should respond to the initial query and pose another "Why" question. This process should be repeated five times, with each response leading to a new "Why?" question. In 99% of cases, the final response will address the underlying cause of the issue mentioned in the first point.

For example, there is a problem with your car. To understand it, you can ask:

• Why is the car not operating? Due to the battery running out.
• Why did the battery run out? Due to the malfunctioning electric generator.
• Why is the generator not operating? Because the belt is damaged.
• Why is the belt damaged? Because it was old and worn out.
• Why was it old and worn out? Because the vehicle was not maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

It is clear from this example that you asked 5 questions to get to the root cause of the problem.

The five techniques presented in this article are important for effective critical thinking. When used regularly, they become ingrained habits that improve your critical thinking skills so you can anticipate and solve problems that matter to you and your environment.

Millions have adopted the Five Whys technique over the years to get to the root cause of their personal and professional problems. Industry giant Six Sigma has combined it with its Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) methodology (a data-driven improvement course used to improve and ensure the stability of business processes and designs.)

Final thoughts

Critical thinking is not a new concept at all. It dates back to Socrates' time, who questioned common beliefs. It was used by major scholars and thinkers at various stages, such as Aristotle, Plato, Colet, Moore, Descartes, Galileo, Newton, and many others.

Today's world also depends on critical thinking to solve various problems. It is indispensable in personal relationships, professional life, and issues that concern the global community.