Analytical abilities and ways to develop them. Simple ways to improve your analytical skills

Greetings, dear friends! I am with you, Yuri Okunev.

Do you always achieve your goals? Are you following a clear plan to realize your dreams? Do you think about every step or do you prefer to act at random? Let's talk about how to develop analytical thinking - the presence of this ability is the main condition for the success of many businessmen and politicians.

“Logical thinking”, “analytical abilities” - how often do we hear these phrases. For example, when applying for a job, it is becoming fashionable to find out whether an applicant has analytical inclinations.

Can you explain what “analytics” is?

Therefore, analytical thinking is the ability to analyze (a situation, a phenomenon) by dividing the whole into parts, comparing and generalizing.

Of course, an employee who can analyze the situation and make rational decisions is more profitable for the employer than one who is used to working according to orders.

From a young age

Whether we like it or not, we have to think analytically at almost every step. At school, a whole range of exact sciences studied, such as mathematics, physics, geometry, are built specifically on the development of analysis skills.

And other subjects, for example, geography, are not so easy to learn if you do not use analytical techniques. To memorize a theoretical definition, you need to take it apart, comprehend it, and compare it with what you read earlier. Only in this case will the new material be well and firmly absorbed.

In everyday life at home and at work, we constantly deal with tasks that require the ability to analyze.

Housing problem

For example, this situation. A young family lives in the same apartment with their parents, dreaming of their own home. Question: how to purchase it?

• You can take out a mortgage, but then you will have to work out a large amount of money for a long time.
• Another option is to give birth to your first and then second child, and buy housing using maternity capital funds.
• The third option is to ask relatives for help. In this case, the relatives must be quite rich and compassionate, which is extremely rare at the same time.
• The fourth one is to buy a plot of land near the city, build a 3x6 meter trailer with two salaries and start living. Every year, add the same area until you are completely satisfied with the size and comfort of the home. “With my dear one, heaven and in a hut.”
• Fifth, sixth and seventh - think of it yourself.

To choose the optimal way out of the situation, young people will have to weigh all the pros and cons, compare and choose the least of all evils. If they think through the situation carefully and draw up a realistic plan of action, they will probably celebrate their housewarming very soon.

I will note in the margin that the wording of the question determines the answer by 50%. In our example, housing rental options were not even considered.

Analyst algorithm

Is there a universal mechanism, a procedure that allows you to make correct decisions in any specific situation, using the analytical ability of thinking?

Perhaps there is:

1. We formulate the goal as clearly and specifically as possible.
2. We divide the situation into parts or determine possible directions for finding an answer, a point of view on the problem.
3. We are looking for solutions in each of the resulting directions.
4. If there is not enough information, we try to guess the missing “pieces” based on intuition and the laws of logic, or find them in available sources.
5. We evaluate and compare the results obtained. We combine if necessary.
6. We choose the most promising direction or solution.

The essence of the algorithm is simple: collect as much information as possible, analyze and draw conclusions, choosing an effective solution. But how often do we use such a scheme in life?

Some of us do this all the time - as a rule, these are people who have a developed analytical mindset. Others don’t bother themselves with any analyzes or conclusions at all, but simply implement the first option that comes to mind.

And the problem is not that the former are “good” and the latter are “bad.” We all just have different ways of thinking. How to determine if your analytical skills are developed?

Speech test

A person’s type of thinking is very clearly demonstrated in his speech. An aptitude for analytics can be determined by the following characteristics:

• Clear, intelligible speech;
• Well-structured sequence of statements, completeness of phrases;
• The presence of semantic blocks, structure;
• The ability to follow a logical line of presentation without being distracted by details or deviating to the side;
• The ability to ask leading questions to the interlocutor or audience in order to lead to the desired topic;
• The presence in the conversation of logical connectives “in this case”, “in case”, “in addition” and so on;
• At the end of a speech or conversation - a brief summary of general results and conclusions.

If by many points on this list you recognize yourself and your way of speaking, this is a good sign, you are an analytical person. If you didn’t find out at all, don’t be upset. You can develop your analytical skills.

Developing the ability to analyze

In childhood

School education includes a huge number of methods for developing children's analytical thinking. All exact sciences studied in lessons are based on analysis. Other subjects also use elements of analytics.

For example, to write an essay on literature, you need to be able to analyze the work you read; In order to have a good understanding of the subject of history, you also need to be able to analyze and evaluate historical events.

Conclusion: increase your child’s interest in learning, do not be lazy to check how he completed his homework.

It will be very good to start a tradition in the family of solving logic puzzles, rebuses, charades together, and periodically organizing chess competitions.

Computer games - quests and strategies - also develop analytical skills well. Of course, provided that the child does not sit in front of the monitor from morning to evening.

The following exercises are suitable for adults:

• Model various life situations and analyze them from an analytical point of view. An example of such a situation was given in the first part of this article;
• Make friends with the games of chess and mahjong;
• Read more. Classic books make our minds work primarily in an analytical way;
• Keep a diary in which you regularly record current goals and objectives, as well as record the results obtained;
• When watching TV shows and news releases, criticize all new information, try to give your personal assessment of events and facts.
• Use online applications to develop logic. The service provides excellent opportunities for this. Brainapps. Suitable for both adults and children.

conclusions

Analytical thinking is, first of all, the ability to find the fastest and most effective solutions to any life problems. By developing this skill, we learn to save our time and energy, and therefore achieve the greatest achievements at the lowest cost. The only thing you need to do for this is to force your brains to work at full capacity.

Develop yourself, friends! And be the first!

Let's draw the line here. Leave comments, share your impressions and new information with friends, and don’t forget to subscribe to blog news.
All the best! Best regards, Yuri Okunev.

Many business gurus in their books or trainings begin communicating with the audience by pointing out the mistakes in the thinking of modern people. The fact is that, in essence, if we discard all stereotypes and assumptions, in preschool institutions and schools we are not taught to develop thinking. Children solve certain problems, learn to work with data, obtain conditions and even analyze actions, however, conditions for personal growth are created only at the institute, and even then, these are limited courses in basic subjects.

A person uses different types of thinking:

• Logical thinking - its task is to generalize what is happening, to find sequences and cause-and-effect relationships.
• Deductive thinking is a process very similar to logical thinking, but it differs in generating inferences rather than comparing what is happening with logical actions. A person himself determines the associated processes and understands what they lead to.
• Analytical thinking is very related to logic, most often characterizing the ability to quickly find an effective and optimal solution in a given situation.
• Creative thinking - it is not the logical centers that work here, but creativity and imagination. It is responsible for generating creative ideas and thoughts.
• Inductive thinking is a certain form of logical thinking that is responsible for generalizing and summing up the thinking process.

It is interesting that logical and analytical thinking (as the most interconnected type) persists into old age, until the brain atrophies and loses the ability to rationally study the world around us.

The peculiarities of human personal development are such that someone in their life is based on logical conclusions and actively uses logic, someone lives and makes creative decisions that are dictated by imagination, desires, and emotions. This is neither good nor bad, it is simply human predisposition. However analytical thinking can be developed, and it is believed that logic is more difficult to develop than creative abilities.

Thinking is the ability to model systematic relationships with the outside world. The more often you solve problems of a certain type and complexity, the more logical thinking will develop. Analytic mind valued in leadership positions, among those people who must solve a huge flow of different types of problems and find the optimal solution for them. Moreover, the ability to think analytically allows you to put together an overall picture of the world, which helps you achieve greater success by understanding cause-and-effect relationships.

How to develop analytical thinking?

The first thing you need to know before starting self-development work is that analytical thinking is very closely related to logic. Therefore, by solving problems on logical thinking, you can gain an analytical mindset, reorienting your worldview. Solve problems, puzzles, crosswords, complex puzzles, solve riddles. At school we all get a foundation, especially in math subjects. Over time, especially after starting work, most people abandon their development, mistakenly believing that work itself contains all the conditions for improving qualities.

Analytical thinking develops differently for everyone, at different speeds and with different results. An especially analytical mindset develops quickly when studying foreign languages, programming languages, when working with technology, complex mechanisms, and large amounts of data.

In modern business, it is difficult to say unequivocally what led to the success of an entrepreneur, whether his analytical mind, or solving a huge number of problems improved his thinking abilities. It is definitely known that the skill of strategic vision, predicting results, working to achieve various goals through certain algorithms and actions is the merit of analytical thinking, which can and should be developed.

Create situations

This technique is very simple and accessible, since you only need a little free time and your intelligence. The essence of the task is to come up with a certain situation, set a goal and formulate an effective solution. For example: Your goal is to fly into space. To do this, you will need either participation in the space program or money to purchase a ticket for the space tourism program. If you have health problems, or are elderly and have poor physical fitness, your only solution is to buy a seat in the Shuttle. By developing this idea, working on generating a chain of decisions, analyzing information, you develop your analytical thinking. If you don’t want to waste time, start planning your own business, buying a country house or car, analyze what you might need during a trip to a foreign resort.

Psychological simulators

Of course, the BrainApps team could not lose sight of the need to develop analytical thinking. Here you will find a huge number of games and simulators that are aimed at developing logic, among other things. There are tasks for quick decision-making, searching for the optimal answer, and restoring the full picture, using the details. The main feature of our site is powerful user support. You'll get:

• Personal trainer – a unique specially designed mechanism for building workouts according to your goals and abilities;
• Statistical module – the ability to check your development progress in your personal account for even more effective training;
• Interesting and exciting games that will appeal to both adults and children.

Remember, the best investment is an investment in yourself! Your intellect is the greatest phenomenon that requires a careful and responsible attitude. Practice, and the results of your training will not keep you waiting.

The article is devoted to the main methods aimed at development of analytical skills in trainings and coaching managers using the most effective and developing decision-making techniques that have been developed and effectively used in the field of project management and quality management.

The author also identifies three main types of intelligence - rational, emotional and spatial - which are involved in the process of analysis, search and decision-making. The techniques proposed by the author involve the development of analytical skills using all three types of intelligence.

The leader’s logic, emotions and intuition unite to achieve the goal, and do not oppose each other in his decisions.

The article is written on many years of experience in conducting training and coaching for senior managers.

Introduction. Original problem

In our culture, analytical skills, so necessary for making effective management decisions, are usually developed through problem solving. Does this mean that a leader who does not have strong abilities in the field of mathematics and physics cannot make quality business decisions?

The answer is quite clear - no, it doesn’t.

But how then can we develop analytical abilities in people of different psychological types?

Three types of intelligence and three types of management decisions

In accordance with the structure of the human brain, there are three main models of information processing and decision making. In their works, famous scientists Paul MacLean, Rolf Schirm and Victor Batayar identified three main types of analytical processes in the brain, which, respectively, first appeared in reptiles, mammals and primates.

Conventionally, these three types of information processing processes were designated by three colors - green, red and blue.

On the basis of the “green” process, spatial intelligence is formed, built on an intuitive model of information processing.

On the basis of the “red” process, emotional intelligence is formed, built on an evaluative model of information processing.

And finally, on the basis of the “blue” process, rational intelligence develops, built on the cause-and-effect processing of verbalized information.

Each person is characterized by the predominance of one or another type of information processing, this is determined by the characteristics of his endocrine system. Therefore, the search and decision-making of each specific leader is limited by his individual characteristics.

Spatial intelligence allows you to make general intuitive decisions that are distinguished by relatively accurate forecasting, but such a decision does not take into account either the specific nuances of the current situation or cause-and-effect relationships. As a result, such a solution is not technologically feasible. It is true only in a specific case. It cannot be reproduced again. Making such a decision is difficult to teach. The most effective decisions using spatial intelligence are made by a group of people who are involved in an active discussion process, such as brainstorming.

Emotional intellect allows you to make decisions regarding priorities, main directions, methods of responding to the current situation. Emotional intelligence is based on the ability to quickly assess the main factors determining a situation and choose the one with the highest priority. Decisions based on emotional intelligence are the fastest and most dramatic - this is a kind of basic decision-making model in business process reengineering and crisis management. But such a solution is also limited from a technological point of view. It lacks completeness and depth of analysis and cannot be reproduced again if the underlying factors have at least partially changed. Often, to increase the effectiveness of emotional intelligence, the motor activity of a leader is necessary, such as Lenin, who constantly walked from corner to corner, analyzing the situation and coming up with a solution.

Rational Intelligence allows you to make deep, thoughtful decisions, characterized by a high level of systematicity, accuracy, multifactoriality and abstraction. The basis of rational intelligence is the ability to find the subtlest cause-and-effect relationships even where their presence cannot even be assumed. Decisions based on rational intelligence are the most strategic, global and take into account the finest nuances. But making decisions based on rational intelligence is impossible without sufficient input of information and in noisy, uncomfortable conditions. These are office solutions that require maximum concentration and privacy surrounded by modern means of communication and information processing.

How do the decisions made differ in practice?

Relatively recently, a certain pharmaceutical company experienced a significant loss, despite the high season. How different leaders analyzed this situation, and what decisions they made.

The head of one of the businesses with a pronounced spatial intelligence gathered all second-level managers and asked everyone to express their vision of the situation. As they spoke, he gradually began to understand that managers did not want to take responsibility for increasing profitability while reducing costs. He gave a fiery speech and motivated managers to constantly work with costs, and subsequently constantly reminded them of this task. At the end of the next quarter, the loss decreased threefold.

A leader with a pronounced emotional intelligence demanded the head of economic security, financial analyst and director of information technology. He clearly limited the set of indicators for the last financial period that he wanted to see. Having received the necessary data, in two hours he created a 4-point program for the quarter: abandoning the reserve warehouse, reducing staff in logistics by 12%, increasing sales in the hospital department and replacing 10% of expensive drugs in the assortment with more economical analogues. As a result, by the end of the next quarter his business became profitable.

A leader with a pronounced rational intellect During the first month, I studied the situation in all its nuances and wrote a detailed business plan. As a result of the implementation of this plan, the situation remained virtually unchanged in the next quarter, but within six months his business achieved stable growth and overtook other businesses in terms of profit.

So you see that:

• In business, a leader needs all three forms of analytical skills.
• Each type of intelligence has its own strengths and weaknesses
• Each leader adopts his own decision-making model

Therefore, when developing analytical skills, it is necessary to rely on the manager’s strong abilities and at the same time find a way to compensate for the weak ones.

Techniques and methods for developing analytical skills, taking into account the individual characteristics of managers

Therefore, in our work, we always begin the development of a leader’s analytical skills with an analysis of the structure of the intellect of the training or coaching participants. At the moment, the only model that allows us to evaluate this indicator is the structogram technique ( www.structogram.ru). And only after this we form a specific set of training activities.

At the same time, we give preference to such models of analysis, information processing and decision-making that contain the processes of all three types of intelligence.

Let's take, for example, the well-known SWOT analysis model, which is actively used in project management, quality management, and marketing. In contrast to the classical model of using this method, we have introduced a number of elements into it that allow us to compensate for certain analytical processes. Below I will give an example of handouts for training on the development of analytical skills with notes with which I want to draw your attention to the use and compensation of one or another type of intelligence.

I chose this model for consideration as the most well-known and I hope that, taking into account the large number of new details that take into account the activation of various forms of intelligence, you will find in it a large number of new and unexpected facets.

In almost any similar model of search, analysis and decision-making, it is possible to build a similar model of development and compensation of all three main types of managerial intelligence. For example, our variation of the Ishikawa cause-and-effect diagram model, which is so popular in the quality management system, turns out to be very interesting.

Within the framework of this article, I will still limit myself to only one model, but I will try to show on it all the main facets of our approach.

Example: practical exercise “SWOT analysis”

Determine the strengths and weaknesses of the project (internal environment), as well as the threats and opportunities that exist in the external environment. Write the results in the SWOT analysis matrix in the appropriate squares.

Stages of analysis (SWOT analysis) of the external and internal situation (environment) of the company:

FIRST STAGE. Distribution of existing factors into external and internal, favorable and unfavorable from the point of view of the goal. Distribution of factors according to the corresponding columns No. 1-4. Additional procedures:

1.1. Correlating each factor with the goal. Conducting a primary analysis to answer the question: “What can the influence of this factor lead to on the goal?”

1.2. Consideration of extreme forecast options:

1.2.1. average or optimal option

1.2.2. worst or pessimistic option and possible ways to prevent it

1.2.3. best or optimistic option

1.3. Recording the results of the most probable forecasts for further use if the analyzed goal is approved.

SECOND PHASE. Analysis of the relationships between factors. To do this you need:

2.1. compare each factor in column 1 with each factor in column 3 and enter the result in columns 1-3. The result should be:

2.1.1. description of the resulting active factor

2.1.2. the method of the most optimal action to achieve the goal, taking into account this factor (possible measures)

2.2. then in the same way it is necessary to compare factors 1 and 4

2.5. Then all the resulting active factors within the corresponding columns are ranked according to their degree of probability.

THIRD STAGE. The resulting possible activities must be analyzed in terms of their financial risk in order to make a preliminary decision about whether it makes sense to achieve the stated goal (policy or vision). To do this you need to take the following steps:

3.1. Each activity is assessed by the level of potential costs in absolute or relative values ​​and multiplied by the probability of realizing these costs

3.2. Each event is assessed by the level of its financial effect (additional profit) throughout the entire time of achieving the goal in the same quantities and multiplied by the probability of achieving this additional profit

3.3. The investment attractiveness of your solution is calculated. Namely :

3.3.1. For each event, an algebraic sum is calculated (taking into account the sign)

3.3.2. All positive sums are divided by 2 and added together

3.3.3. All negative amounts (remainders) are multiplied by 2 and added together

3.3.4. Both sums are added together

3.3.5. The amount received is divided by the total amount of receipts

3.4. You compare the result obtained with the decision table and determine your further actions from three options:

3.4.1. decision-making,

3.4.2. solution correction,

3.4.3. refusal of a decision (project)

FOURTH STAGE. Correction of the resulting structure of factors and measures.

4.1. Replacement of economically unprofitable measures

4.2. If clause 4.1. is not enough - make an additional reformulation of the goal (policy, vision).

4.3. The remaining and newly received activities are structured according to importance and urgency relative to the set goal (policy, vision).

conclusions

1. Many years of work with the manager showed that solutions developed using the processes of all three types of intelligence turned out to be the most effective.
2. Combining the processes of each of the three types of intelligence in a training exercise allows you to develop analytical skills at a new and much more effective level. Analysis of the training results showed that even the most “unpromising” participants from the point of view of customers, after such trainings, quickly increased the level and quality of the decisions they made. So, in one company, after we trained a group of executive assistants in analytical skills, ALL participants in the training were appointed to management positions up to the level of top managers within a year after the training.

Analytical mindset - what does it mean? This is what we will look into in our article: we will talk about the features of its development step by step.

What is a mindset and its types

If the chosen profession corresponds to the mentality, a person reaches unprecedented heights in his career, it is easier for him to achieve goals, and his merits become more significant.

There are:

1. Humanitarian. Before making a decision, a person first imagines everything and tries to feel it. Here, the emotional way predominates in understanding the world around us. When studying any phenomenon, an individual passes everything through himself. Those with a humanitarian mindset are more theorists than practitioners.
2. Synthetic is a universal mindset. People, as a rule, have good abilities to comprehend both mathematical and humanities. The advantage may go in one direction, in which case it is necessary to pass a special aptitude test.
3. Analytic mind. It is characterized by continuous mental work of the brain. Gives the ability to connect links into logical chains of the thought process and reason correctly.

Let's take a closer look at the latter.

Analytical mindset - what does it mean?

Analytical skills are the art of thinking logically and correctly expressing your ideas. A person with this type of thinking is able to collect all the facts, analyze them and lay out a chain from them leading to the correct conclusion, leading to the most accurate conclusion.

Analytical mindset - what is it? This is not just the ability to reason and express your opinion - you need to build a logical conclusion. Usually, a reflective person reacts emotionally to any twists of fate, using intuition, which does not obey logic. Emotions are different from logical scientific knowledge. An individual whose thoughts have a strong emotional coloring, giving in to instincts, cannot arrange facts in the right direction without error. This is illogical thinking, hence the disparity of opinions about the same event.

No, this does not mean that people with analytical thinking are not susceptible to emotions and instinctive behavior. Their brains are designed in such a way that when making decisions, processing and analyzing facts, they do not use emotions and intuition. And yet, an analytical mindset - what does it mean?

Let's reveal the essence of the term

In simple words, it is a natural gift, but it can be developed. Just first you need to decide whether you need it. As a rule, an analytical mindset is necessary for people who are engaged in science, writing, medicine, various investigations, lawyers, accountants, political scientists, and so on. The product of their labor will be examined by other people, so the result must be flawless and error-free.

Thus, we have lifted the curtain on the question of what an analytical mindset means. Let's say you decide to develop these abilities, let's figure out how to do it. Or maybe they already exist? How to recognize them?

Analytical mindset - what does it mean and how to define it?

There are many tests. But you shouldn’t hope that there will be a 100% result, because, having a mathematical mind, you will successfully complete tasks with puzzles, but gaps in your knowledge of the Russian language will give a disappointing assessment of the level of your analytical abilities. There are no universal tests. It is better to seek help from a specialist who will help you understand this issue step by step.

Try to determine their presence using a simple practical exercise. It is necessary to take any text and try to break it into fragments, grasp the idea, recognize the intent of each part, and learn something new for yourself. If any difficulties arise during the training, analytical skills need to be developed.

How to do it?

In simple words, you need to train your brain. The left hemisphere is our logic and analytical abilities. Therefore, in order to strengthen it, you need to work on increasing the load on the right side of the body. These are physical exercises and, of course, solving various problems.

The right hemisphere is our emotions, intuition. Responsible for fantasy. And in order to develop this part, you need to include all thought processes when performing tasks.

You need to work every day. There are exercises that will help you build, trace and compare your thought process with the way of thinking of another person.

The exercises are as follows:

1. After listening to your opponent’s opinion, which does not coincide with yours, try to mentally share his point of view and arrange events in such a way that the logical chain leads to conclusions similar to his conclusions. This way you can identify the rough edges in his presentation of the position, and perhaps you will find mistakes in your own.
2. Analyze any situation. Come up with many options for getting out of it, several possible favorable solutions.
3. Read novels and detective stories, where halfway through, try to figure out the criminal.
4. Solve logical and mathematical problems, puzzles, puzzles, and crosswords. It's entertaining, exciting and useful.
5. Watch educational TV programs, videos on the Internet on geography, history, and some scientific channels. Listen to political debates. Follow the dialogue, how the speech is structured, what arguments are given.
6. Play chess, checkers, billiards.

A trained analytical mind is like a natural thought process in which you don’t have to strain your brain. There is no trace of any intellectual load. Then you can consider that you have acquired this unique gift.

What else will help in developing analytical skills?

There are a lot of special trainings that help with this. It offers models of situations from which you need to find a way out and propose a solution. And based on the answer, his behavior is corrected; the specialist works to develop thinking. The classes are interesting and relaxed.

Improvisation role-playing games are successfully practiced. There is no time to think about the decision. You need to describe your thoughts momentarily. After which a collective analysis is carried out.

If you can’t attend trainings, you can invite a friend with analytical thinking to visit and do the same exercise with him.

You can practice on your own in complete silence. It is necessary to project some situation in your thoughts and come up with ways out of it. After which you need to analyze your thought process and the actions performed in your imagination. You can practice with friends.

So, we have understood the concept of “analytical mindset” and what it means. Forgetful individuals who find it difficult to concentrate and complete a task need to develop their memory and improve mental activity.

How can we improve it? Expert advice:

• A healthy, full sleep is necessary, at least seven hours, and under heavy loads, you need to set aside time for rest during the day.
• You should not start the work process immediately after eating; a short break is necessary.
• Instead of a cup of coffee, it is better to do morning exercises. This is a charge of vivacity and energy.
• "Reminder". This exercise will allow you to use all types of memory if you constantly remember and scroll in your head, and also speak out loud, for example, a plan of affairs for the day.

We often come across the words “analysis”, “analyst”, “analyze the situation”, but does everyone understand what analytical thinking means? How does it differ from logical? Is it possible to develop it? What is it for?

There is definitely something good associated with analytical thinking. We usually admire a person with developed analytical skills; we consider him very smart, capable of solving any riddle. The hero of K. Doyle’s books, Sherlock Holmes, is easily remembered in this context. He masterfully used both types of analysis: inductive (from the frequent to the general), as well as deductive (from the general to the particular). It was thanks to his ability to grasp the little things and grasp the cause-and-effect relationship that he achieved success.

Many people like to solve crosswords, some play chess, and there are those who like to read detective stories. Undoubtedly, all this develops the analytics of your thinking, but who needs this skill vitally?

The need for analytical thinking

Any person working with large amounts of information must be able to extract meaning, discarding minor details. From time to time we are faced with the need to build a forecast and assess the likelihood of emergency situations occurring. It is also important to have the ability to structure information as well as evaluate it. These skills are highly valued in logistics, economics, programming, and sales. That is why, in times of crisis, employers check candidates especially carefully, paying attention not only to resumes and work experience, but also checking the flexibility of mind, as well as other analytical abilities of job applicants.

It turns out that the ability to think analytically can be useful to any person striving to achieve success in life and career. Any task will be solved more efficiently, efficiently, and it will take less time to complete it, which is also important in the increasing time pressure. Consider a problem from different angles, do not rush to conclusions, and do not let yourself be overwhelmed by emotions - these are the qualities that a person with good analytical thinking possesses.

What is the difference between analytical and logical thinking?

Analytical thinking refers to a person’s ability to use logic to analyze information and draw conclusions. What does the analytical thinking process look like in practice?

1. It is necessary to break down complex information into simpler parts.
2. Analyze all parts separately, as well as the original information as a whole.
3. Recover missing information using judgments and inferences.
4. Outline several options for solving the problem based on the previous points.
5. Analyze each option and consider its pros and cons.
6. Choose the optimal solution.

Logic is certainly applied during these operations. But for analysis, the process of solving the problem and the result are important.

Is it possible to develop your analytical skills?

Of course you can. Analytical ability consists of two components: natural talent and purposeful development.

Most likely, it is the natural talent for analysis or the lack thereof that explains the traditional division into “humanities” and “technical” people. This division makes life easier for teachers: who would burden a humanities class with complex logarithms and problems? Or in the physics and mathematics team they reduce the role of literature and language learning, paying attention to specialized subjects. This makes life easier for teenagers too. After all, it is much easier to say: “I can’t solve mathematical problems because I have a humanitarian mindset” than to pore over a complex problem.

However, this approach subsequently does not become useful for children. It turns out that people in the humanities will be deprived of analytical abilities only because they were not developed in school. But school is a fertile place and time for studying science. This is where they get acquainted with the conceptual apparatus and learn to perform logical operations. It is up to the age of 15 that the ability to analyze is most effectively developed.

Of course, this does not mean that adults can no longer train to improve their abilities. It's never too late to start! Read about how to develop analytical thinking.

Ten ways to develop analytical qualities:

1. Study mathematics and physics, read popular science, educational and scientific literature.
2. Solve logic problems, puzzles, etc.
3. Play intellectually developing games (chess, quests and strategies - any that require the ability to calculate several moves ahead).
4. Get creative. Remember Sherlock Holmes's passion for the violin?
5. Talk to people. Let them be different: those who have developed thinking, and those who do not. There will be a great opportunity to compare.
6. Don't neglect quality fiction. A book is the best food for the brain.
7. As cliche as it may sound: analyze. Your behavior, the behavior of other people. Why do they do this? What consequences does this lead to?
8. Doubt everything, even the most obvious things.
9. Get busy planning your life. What will you be doing tomorrow? What needs to be done in a week? What do you want to achieve this year? Where do you want to be in 10 years? Process this information and analyze it. This will help develop not only analytical skills, but will make life more orderly.
10. Engage in discussions. Be curious, try to understand your opponent’s opinion, prove yours. This technique is great for training logic.

Don't focus on developing just one hemisphere. Our brain must work harmoniously. Admit it, being a versatile person is much more pleasant than being a dry analyst. Both hemispheres are interconnected: the development of one accelerates the improvement of the second, and overwork leads to mental passivity. Do not forget also about a healthy diet and rest.

And now I suggest you train your thinking using a real-life example (a real one, by the way).

1. The warehouse sends the client the wrong product that she ordered. 2. She sends it back, but not to the address of the return service, but to the address of the delivery service, which should not receive such returns. 3. The delivery service receives the goods and sends it to the warehouse, but at the same time loses the document confirming this. 4. The warehouse receives nothing, but has no evidence. Question: who is to blame and what to do?

I look forward to your answers in the comments. Be smart and train your brain!

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Best regards, Alexander Fadeev.

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Hello. My name is Alexander. I am the author of the blog. I have been developing websites for more than 7 years: blogs, landing pages, online stores. I am always glad to meet new people and your questions and comments. Add yourself on social networks. I hope the blog is useful to you.