creativity Archives — NIMBLE FOUNDATION BLOG

Critical Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples

What is critical thinking? Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings.

Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions.

Why Do Employers Value Critical Thinking Skills?

Employers want job candidates who can evaluate a situation using logical thought and offer the best solution.FEATURED VIDEO

Someone with critical thinking skills can be trusted to make decisions independently, and will not need constant handholding.

Critical thinking abilities are among the most sought-after skills in almost every industry and workplace.2 You can demonstrate critical thinking by using related keywords in your resume and cover letter, and during your interview.

Examples of Critical Thinking

The circumstances that demand critical thinking vary from industry to industry. Some examples include:

A triage nurse analyzes the cases at hand and decides the order by which the patients should be treated.
A plumber evaluates the materials that would best suit a particular job.
An attorney reviews evidence and devises a strategy to win a case or to decide whether to settle out of court.
A manager analyzes customer feedback forms and uses this information to develop a customer service training session for employees.

Promote Your Skills in Your Job Search

If critical thinking is a key phrase in the job listings you are applying for, be sure to emphasize your critical thinking skills throughout your job search.

Add Keywords to Your Resume

You can use critical thinking keywords (analytical, problem solving, creativity, etc.) in your resume. When describing your work history, include any of the skills listed below that accurately describe you. You can also include them in your resume summary, if you have one.

For example, your summary might read, “Marketing Associate with five years of experience in project management. Skilled in conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis to assess market trends and client needs, and to develop appropriate acquisition tactics.”

Mention Skills in Your Cover Letter

Include these critical thinking skills in your cover letter. In the body of your letter, mention one or two of these skills, and give specific examples of times when you have demonstrated those skills at work. Think about times when you had to analyze or evaluate materials to solve a problem.

Show the Interviewer Your Skills

You can use these skill words in an interview. Discuss a time when you were faced with a particular problem or challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve it.

Some interviewers will give you a hypothetical scenario or problem, and ask you to use critical thinking skills to solve it. In this case, explain your thought process thoroughly to the interviewer. He or she is typically more focused on how you arrive at your solution rather than the solution itself. The interviewer wants to see you use analysis and evaluation (key parts of critical thinking) approach to the given scenario or problem.

Of course, each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description carefully and focus on the skills listed by the employer.

Top Critical Thinking Skills

Analysis

Part of critical thinking is the ability to carefully examine something, whether it is a problem, a set of data, or a text. People with analytical skills can examine information, understand what it means, and properly explain to others the implications of that information.

Asking Thoughtful Questions
Data Analysis
Research
Interpretation
Judgment
Questioning Evidence
Recognizing Patterns
Skepticism

Communication

Often, you will need to share your conclusions with your employers or with a group of colleagues. You need to be able to communicate with others to share your ideas effectively. You might also need to engage critical thinking in a group. In this case, you will need to work with others and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems.

Active Listening
Assessment
Collaboration
Explanation
Interpersonal
Presentation
Teamwork
Verbal Communication
Written Communication

Creativity

Critical thinking often involves creativity and innovation. You might need to spot patterns in the information you are looking at or come up with a solution that no one else has thought of before. All of this involves a creative eye that can take a different approach from all other approaches.

Flexibility
Conceptualization
Curiosity
Imagination
Drawing Connections
Inferring
Predicting
Synthesizing
Vision

Open-Mindedness

To think critically, you need to be able to put aside any assumptions or judgments and merely analyze the information you receive. You need to be objective, evaluating ideas without bias.

Diversity
Fairness
Humility
Inclusive
Objectivity
Observation
Reflection

Problem Solving

Problem solving is another critical thinking skill that involves analyzing a problem, generating and implementing a solution, and assessing the success of the plan. Employers don’t simply want employees who can think about information critically. They also need to be able to come up with practical solutions.

Attention to Detail
Clarification
Decision Making
Evaluation
Groundedness
Identifying Patterns
Innovation

More Critical Thinking Skills

Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Compliance
Noticing Outliers
Adaptability
Emotional Intelligence
Brainstorming
Optimization
Restructuring
Integration
Strategic Planning
Project Management
Ongoing Improvement
Causal Relationships
Case Analysis
Diagnostics
SWOT Analysis
Business Intelligence
Quantitative Data Management
Qualitative Data Management
Metrics
Accuracy
Risk Management
Statistics
Scientific Method
Consumer Behavior

Key Takeaways

Add Relevant Skills to Your Resume: Demonstrate critical thinking by using keywords related to your skills in your resume.

Highlight Skills in Your Cover Letter: Mention some of these skills in your cover letter, and include an example of a time when you demonstrated them at work.

Use Skill Words in Your Job Interview: Discuss a time when you were faced with a challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve it.

Site URL: https://www.thoughtco.com/critical-thinking-definition-with-examples-2063745

This article was published on June 8 2020.

Critical Thinking is one of 10 life skills which hqas been identified by UNESCO. The other skills are:

Problem Solving
Effective Communication
Decision Making
Creative Making
Interpersonal Relationship skills
Self Awareness
Empathy
Copping with Stress
Copping with Emotions.

7 Steps of Innovation

A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains.

All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all.

Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied;

“When they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible. The elephant can’t think out of the box. There is no innovative quality bestowed. The elephant likewise if a person does not innovate or think different than what he/she has been used to they are not innovative.

While creativity is thinking out of the box, innovation is putting into action a creative plan. For innovating a product or service we must consider the following:

What is required or desired by the users? It means that innovative products or services must meet defined or undefined needs of the consumers.

What is possible with the existing technology? One has to keep in mind the available technology innovation can ride or ameliorate on, so as to make the innovation more achievable. Moreover, one really need not re-invent the wheel.

What is viable in the market place? It is necessary to find out the viability of the innovative product or service which has been conceived before starting work on it. Truth be told, viability is critical to prevent wasteful efforts.

Simply said, innovation is change that unlocks new value.
The Following are the 7 steps that held, produce innovation smoothly.

In order to ascertain desirability to the users we must start with the concept crisis: If trying to upgrade a product/service one may ask the customers who its current users are. Observing the product in use and reviewing the difficulties and complaints faced by the current consumer will give a clearer picture of the desired modification or innovation.
After identifying what needs to be done a detailed plan including the target result has to be laid out. One should run brain storm sessions, and if a corporation, the company’s whole brain should be used. It is a myth that innovation is the brainchild of a single genius; rather it is the result of collaborative effort.
The organization needs to examine the related current patents before undertaking innovation. One should not find out later on, that somebody else already holds a patent for the innovation conceived and worked upon.
Failures are a part of creating anything new. Failures should not deter the process of innovation. It’s necessary to persistently follow the plan. Often results take longer than expected. Persistence is crucial.
During the process of creating an innovative product or service the organization should consistently review i)what new additions can be made ii) what new ways can be adopted that could change the design or the processes.
A friendly environment should be created and a keen sense of curiosity needs to be encouraged. At every stage the output reached is reflected upon. The process of innovation can be made smooth only with an in depth contemplation and an environment that promotes creative thinking.
Innovation is best achieved when a creative idea is selected & the leader is totally committed to that new idea. Passion produces results. The leader must also have good business sense and a broad understanding of how things feel inside or outside the company. The requirement is that of strategic thinking or of a ‘helicopter sense’- a talent for rising above the smaller details to be able to see the big picture. Such a leader is able to create a cohesive and driven team which is in turn is fully dedicated to the project. The plan must be prepared in a collaborative fashion. The team members should also contribute in making the plan. Team work needs to be ensured.

Thanks for reading.

Happiness

In general dictionary, there is no proper definition for happiness. One has to find out his own definition which works for himself. In simple words, it is a constant and continuous feeling of joy and contentment. It should not be momentary just like pleasure.
Whatever a person does, he ultimately does to find happiness. It is not a destination, but can be found in the journey of life. It is ones choice to be happy. Whether one has everything or not, it is completely his choice to make himself happy with what he has. It is not a possession to be prised, but the quality of thoughts and state of mind. It is a sort of action. When one is wise, he makes others happy.
Some of the authors and world leaders say that today, the biggest problem in the world is that, we are more interested in making others believe that we are happy than actually trying to be happy by ourselves.
It is just a belief that money and success can buy happiness. But alone they are useless. Your decision to be happy plays the top role. Money, success, your decision, etc. are just few of the constituents of happiness, which are to be placed on their proper positions.
Happiness can’t be bought, but just created, felt, expressed or experienced. If it could have been bought, all would have paid a price for it. The best method to create happiness is to do the things which you love. It contributes a lot. And if that is not possible, then love the things which you do. Choose to be happy in the work you do and it is only possible when you start liking them.
STEPS TO BECOME HAPPY:

Think less
Feel more
Act more
Frown less
Smile more
Laugh more
Talk less
Listen more
Understand better
Judge less
Expect more
Watch less
Do more
Complain less
Appreciate more
Be grateful

Gratitude is extremely important if one wants to be happy. Likewise, the person should not be over emotional but have faith. He should not give up but keep trying. He should not complicate but make things simple. Sometimes, he need not be serious but laugh at the problems. He should be as youthful as a kid. That will make him happy.
One’s happiness should depend on himself and not on other people or things which he may lose. One can never lose himself. Those who desire love, try to find a soul mate. But those who desire happiness, finds themselves, and then their soul mate finds them.
Happiness is never experienced with the amount of problems but the ability to face it. If someone can’t write happiness in others life, then atleast he should try to erase his problems.
BENIFITS OF BEING HAPPY:

It boots motivation. It keeps one inspired and he is always enthusiastic. He loves creativity, have lot of energy, good health and create good vigilance. All this is possible only if he is happy.
It improves productivity in one’s life.
It reduces cardio vascular diseases.
It is said that happy people have a longer life and are tend to attract more people. So they make good friends.

Thanks for reading

7 Steps of Innovation

While creativity is thinking out of the box, innovation is putting into action a creative plan. For innovating a product or service we must consider the following:

What is required or desired by the users? It means that innovative products or services must meet defined or undefined needs of the consumers.
What is possible with the existing technology? One has to keep in mind the available technology innovation can ride or ameliorate on, so as to make the innovation more achievable. Moreover, one really need not re-invent the wheel.
What is viable in the market place? It is necessary to find out the viability of the innovative product or service which has been conceived before starting work on it. Truth be told, viability is critical to prevent wasteful efforts.

Simply said, innovation is change that unlocks new value.
The Following are the 7 steps that held, produce innovation smoothly.

In order to ascertain desirability to the users we must start with the concept crisis: If trying to upgrade a product/service one may ask the customers who its current users are. Observing the product in use and reviewing the difficulties and complaints faced by the current consumer will give a clearer picture of the desired modification or innovation.

After identifying what needs to be done a detailed plan including the target result has to be laid out. One should run brain storm sessions, and if a corporation, the company’s whole brain should be used. It is a myth that innovation is the brainchild of a single genius; rather it is the result of collaborative effort.

The organization needs to examine the related current patents before undertaking innovation. One should not find out later on, that somebody else already holds a patent for the innovation conceived and worked upon.

Failures are a part of creating anything new. Failures should not deter the process of innovation. It’s necessary to persistently follow the plan. Often results take longer than expected. Persistence is crucial.

During the process of creating an innovative product or service the organization should consistently review i)what new additions can be made ii) what new ways can be adopted that could change the design or the processes.

A friendly environment should be created and a keen sense of curiosity needs to be encouraged. At every stage the output reached is reflected upon. The process of innovation can be made smooth only with an in depth contemplation and an environment that promotes creative thinking.

Innovation is best achieved when a creative idea is selected & the leader is totally committed to that new idea. Passion produces results. The leader must also have good business sense and a broad understanding of how things feel inside or outside the company. The requirement is that of strategic thinking or of a ‘helicopter sense’- a talent for rising above the smaller details to be able to see the big picture. Such a leader is able to create a cohesive and driven team which is in turn is fully dedicated to the project. The plan must be prepared in a collaborative fashion. The team members should also contribute in making the plan. Team work needs to be ensured.

Happy innovating!

7 Steps to Invoke Creativity

Let’s first get a clear understanding of this commonly used word. Simply put creativity is thinking about new avenues and new possibilities. It is thinking out of the box. Contrary to what we may believe creativity does not come out of the blue. It is the deliberate working of the right brain which transcends logic which in turn churns out new ideas to solve old problems. All innovation is possible only when creativity is invoked.
It is often heard that creativity is original thinking and that it is the brain child of a ‘genius’ who has used his imagination to create something new. Creativity in fact, is the art of generating new possibilities and new ways to do things.
The following are the 7 steps which are helpful in understanding and promoting creativity. Subsequently Innovation is the ability to give shape to a creative idea in order to achieve a desired result.

Firstly a manager must identify the problem for which he/she is finding a creative solution. It’s a good idea to lay down the details as to why the problem exists and persists. The need to find a solution also should be articulated. The manager also needs to clarify his vision of the solution.

Once the vision is clear and the problem stated, all the possibilities need to be laid out. Any problem can have many facets. The same can be resolved in various ways. The best thing would be to note down all the possible solutions.

Next, a strategic alternative needs to be created. The third step is to work out the strategy to achieve the desired results on the aforesaid alternatives. This exercise will bring to light the difficulties for each alternative. These have to be carefully examined to find out which ones are most suitable.

The most suitable alternatives need to be contemplated carefully. The difficulties involved in resolving the issues should be noted down. What would the tentative procedure be to remedy these difficulties may also put down? At this stage one may select the best alternative.

The 5^th step for nurturing creativity is to find out break through projects. In this step we have to work in detail the plan of action for achieving the objective. The entire structure of the project needs to be created. Meticulous examination of the steps and the structure will guide us on how to proceed. The plan must be executed closely and effectively. Execution is very important. It needs to be remembered that an excellent implementation of a reasonably good plan is better than reasonably good execution of an excellent plan. Thus no doubt the plan is important the feasibility and the correct execution are even more important.

Work out and write down all the details that may be required while implementing the plan. Creativity teaches us to be always proactive. It is therefore reckoned as deep thinking on every small detail. In the process sometimes new ideas come faster and other times they will not. In either case creativity is at work.

The process of creative thinking should continue. It should become a part of the culture of the organization. Creative work climate requires:

A manager should not hesitate to implement feasible looking ideas.
Failure should be treated not as failures as this may actually show that people are actually trying and applying their mind.
Every failure concludes with a lesson. This lesson must be learned and the learning should be imbibed. And the process of creativity in the organization must go on.

Thanks for reading.

Leadership Qualities

In my last presentation, I had defined Leadership. I had also explained what it takes to be a good leader. How must a leader go about performing his/her duty that would justify leadership. Today, I shall talk to you about the characteristic elements of personality which are necessary for a good leader:

The first on the list is Honesty. Honesty towards oneself. This means that the Leader must be himself or herself all the time. At no time the Leader should try to copy anyone or say something which he/she does not believe. The leader must believe in an honest, ethical behavior as a key value. All the actions will foster among the team members the same value. Once accepted the value can be a strong bond among members of the team, a group, or an organization.
The second quality which a leader must have is the ability to delegate. This requires the leader’s trust in the members of the team. Besides, the leader should have the ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the members. This will help in assigning appropriate tasks to individual members. Such a delegation will be meaningful and the results will be more productive.
Excellent communication represents the third important quality of a good leader. The leader should be in a position to communicate in a language which is understood by all – be it an uneducated skilled worker on the floor or the CEO who is a member of the board.Further the leader must ensure that whatever has been communicated is not only understood, but assimilated by all concerned. This will be possible only if the leader has an open mind and encourages rather than discourages feedback.
Excellent communication represents the third important quality of a good leader. The leader should be in a position to communicate in a language which is understood by all – be it an uneducated skilled worker on the floor or the CEO who is a member of the board.Further the leader must ensure that whatever has been communicated is not only understood, but assimilated by all concerned. This will be possible only if the leader has an open mind and encourages rather than discourages feedback.
Excellent communication represents the third important quality of a good leader. The leader should be in a position to communicate in a language which is understood by all – be it an uneducated skilled worker on the floor or the CEO who is a member of the board.Further the leader must ensure that whatever has been communicated is not only understood, but assimilated by all concerned. This will be possible only if the leader has an open mind and encourages rather than discourages feedback.
A strong sense of commitment is the next aspect of positive leadership. Committed leaders often have a hands on approach and are able to do it themselves especially in times of a crisis. This approach ensures the commitment of the team, which feels secure under such decisive leadership.
A positive attitude is also a very important aspect of leadership. Positive Attitude of the Leader ensures high energy levels of the team members. It also ensures that the Leader looks at every challenge as an opportunity rather than a roadblock.
A positive attitude is also a very important aspect of leadership. Positive Attitude of the Leader ensures high energy levels of the team members. It also ensures that the Leader looks at every challenge as an opportunity rather than a roadblock.
The leader’s quality of Institution refers to his gut feeling about the course of action he is to take. The quality of Intuition enables a leader to take calculated risks in decision making when facing an unforeseen situation.
The leader’s quality of Institution refers to his gut feeling about the course of action he is to take. The quality of Intuition enables a leader to take calculated risks in decision making when facing an unforeseen situation.

Thanks for reading.