Analytical thinking what is it

Most types of work require analytical skills. You use them to solve problems that may not have obvious solutions or that have several variables. Let's say you're the manager of a restaurant and have been going over budget on food for the past two weeks.

You review the menus and what customers have ordered along with food costs from your suppliers. You see that the cost of seafood has increased over the past two weeks.

When you talk to the supplier, they explain that there's been a disruption in the supply chain due to weather. They've increased costs to compensate. You decide to reduce your seafood order to lower costs and work with your chef to develop new specials that take advantage of other protein options. In this example, you used analytical skills to review data from different sources, integrated new information, and made a decision based on your observations.

The best analytical skills to highlight on a resume depend on the position you're applying for. Here are five skills to consider. Analysis only goes so far if you can't share and implement your findings.

You need to be an effective communicator to discuss the patterns you see and your conclusions and recommendations. Analytical communication skills include:. Analyzing information often requires a creative eye to spot trends in the data that others may not find. Creativity is also important when it comes to problem-solving. The obvious solution is not always the best option.

Employees with strong analytical skills will think outside the box to come up with effective solutions to big problems. Creative skill sets include:.

Critical thinking refers to evaluating information and then making a decision based on your findings. Critical thinking is what helps an employee make decisions that help solve problems for a company. It may include:.

No matter what your career field, being good at analysis means being able to examine a large volume of data and identify trends in that data. Take a walk outside or observe people in your office. Is there anything that interests you? Remember you have to actively engage your mind. Once again, the key to improving your analytical thinking skill is to keep your mind active and running.

You can highlight, raise questions, read aloud or make predictions to stay engaged with your reading material. By scrutinizing how things work, you will have a better understanding of the process which is vital in stimulating your analytical skills.

Did you know that curiosity makes us smarter? If you want to improve your analytical thinking skills, it may be time to play Sudoku or other brain games like puzzles, chess, or crosswords. Keep in mind that for every problem, there is a solution.

Visualize and be articulate in the presentation of a particular concept. Prepare two, three or even more solutions to a problem. Analytical thinkers can detect patterns between datasets that often lead to creative solutions. As critical thinkers, they help teams make informed decisions based on collected data and identified goals.

Analytical thinkers also help their team embrace new ideas and develop a growth mindset. A major difficulty for millions of women is finding a bra that actually fits.

Zak and her company ThirdLove set out to solve the problem by building a better bra while simultaneously making it easier for women to find their correct size. During a visit to a high school computer science class, Saujani noticed a lack of girls in the classroom. To tackle this systemic issue, she started Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that offers coding lessons and summer programs to girls from middle to high school across the U.

Today, Girls Who Code has served over , women and young girls, bridging them with opportunities in tech. While trying to track down information on new products, Hoover found it almost impossible to find what he was looking for. Instead of throwing up his hands and giving up, Hoover looked at the underlying problem and worked to find a solution for everyone.

Analytical thinkers are great at spotting issues before they happen. They look ahead, picture a product or service in its development, and make a plan to create it. Rome wasn't built in a day. Analytical leaders know how to break large goals or problems down into manageable, achievable steps. They help their team manage their energy and effort in the most productive way. Approaching every setback and failure as an opportunity to learn is an example of analytical thinking. Leaders often incorporate past learnings to solve present problems.

The definition of analytical thinking does not include noisy, clustered data. Rather than overcomplicating a project, critical thinkers look for the simplest ways to break down a problem and find a solution.