How to Improve Your Analytical Skills

How to Improve Analytical Skills | Tips & Examples | Resume.com

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Some skills are specific to certain industries or career fields, while others are universal. Analytical thinking is one of the skills every employee can benefit from developing. And, hiring managers seek this skill in prospective employees. Learn what analytical skills are, how to use them, and steps to improve your analytical skills in this article.

What are analytical skills?

Analytical skills are the ability to logically and thoughtfully process and analyze a problem or information set. Analytical skills are multi-faceted and depend greatly on the specifics of the situation.

Why are analytical skills important?

Analytical skills are important for several reasons. They assist in making decisions, thoughtfully considering options and solving problems. Analytical skills are highly valued by hiring managers and used in almost every profession and industry. Analytical skills are often also transferable skills, meaning that they will bring value to whatever position you might hold in the future, even if it is in a different industry. Developing your analytical skills is a great way to improve your overall hiring potential.

Common analytical skills

Here are some of the most common types of analytical skills:

Thinking critically

This process involves using all of the information, ideas and feedback gathered to come to a conclusion. Thinking critically is often considered the most important analytical skill.

Communication

Communication is vital to analysis. Often, you will work with others and must communicate to come to an answer. Additionally, you might need to explain your reasoning to a group clearly.

Research

Knowing how to research effectively will save time in the analysis process. Gathering the appropriate information promptly is an analytical skill.

Creativity

Sometimes, creative solutions are the best answer to complex problems. Using creativity to problem-solve is considered an analytical skill.

Analyzing data

Often, making decisions involves reviewing data sets and identifying useful trends within them. Data analysis is a complex analytical skill that can take time to develop.

How to improve analytical skills

Analytical skills are learnable and can thus be improved with practice. Follow these steps to refine your analytical skills:

1. Firstly, observe others

Begin by observing those around you. Determine who has strong analytical skills and see how they manage problem-solving tasks. If appropriate, ask if they would mind mentoring you or providing you with their personal best practices for thinking analytically. In addition to actively observing excellent analysts, practice observing the world around you. Notice how things work and analyze daily processes for effectiveness and efficiency.

2. Secondly, find time to exercise

Exercise is a great way to boost brain function. The act of keeping physically fit alone can help you think more clearly, but many types of exercise forces you to ignore distractions and complete a task, which is excellent mental training for analytical thinking. Additionally, exercise practices like yoga and tai chi include an element of mental stimulation that can help during stressful moments of analysis.

3. Thirdly, study and learn

Many resources can help you develop your analytical skills. Read books about a variety of topics to increase your general knowledge base. Seek out knowledge from professionals you respect or innovators in your field to learn how they apply analysis to their problems. Discover new ideas through podcasts and documentaries.

4. Fourthly, practice problem solving and critical thinking

Problem-solving may come more easily to some than others, but it is a skill that can be learned. Logic games and puzzles are a great way to practice analytical skills like problem-solving and critical thinking. Schedule time daily or weekly to practice your logic skills to develop that line of thinking. Eventually, working through all problems logically will become second nature. Logic games and puzzles naturally build critical thinking skills through practice.

5. Fifthly, work on journaling

Keeping a journal is a great way to make analysis a natural part of your daily routine. By writing down your daily activities and reflecting on what you have accomplished, you are naturally analyzing your decisions and their consequences. Maintaining a journal may also lead to more mindfulness throughout the day as you get into the habit of considering your choices critically before making a decision.

6. Sixth, improve communication

Start by noticing what effective communication looks and sounds like. See who in your company is a strong communicator and emulate what they do. Think about what you want to say before you say it so that your message is clear and easy to understand. If you know you often forget important details, write them down before you share, and refer to your notes when needed. Over time, clear communication will become automatic.

7. Then, prioritize research

Research is a learnable skill. Find the best sources for your industry. For example, lawyers often refer to online document libraries to research case law. More than likely, your industry has best practices for finding reliable and factual information. Practice using these resources so that you can do so efficiently and effectively.

8. Next, analyze data

There are a variety of metrics and trends you can discover through reviewing data sets. Talk with the data masters in your company about the best practices related to data review. Some industries tend to use the same metrics repeatedly. Find out what those are for your industry and practice calculating them on your own time.

9. After that, be mindful

Maintain awareness of your decision-making process. In times of stress or time pressure, people can rush to make decisions without properly considering all the options, and they might miss a creative solution. Practice working through several outcomes before making a decision. Use meditative techniques like deep breathing and slowing your heart rate to help you focus on the situation and possible outcomes rather than on the stress of the deadline.

10. Following that, explore your creativity

Find creative outlets to improve your creative thinking like writing or drawing. Pursuing creative activities can help build up your creative analysis and lead you to interesting ideas on the job that you may not have thought of previously.

11. Finally, seek feedback

Problem-solving for a company is usually in the hands of a team. Use your analytical skills to bring ideas to the group, but be sure to seek out feedback from the team. Additionally, following the implementation of a new process or the actions of decision, check in with those impacted to see if the solution worked. Feedback is a valuable tool for improvement as you can learn where your analytical strengths and weaknesses are and then improve them.

Developing your analytical skills takes time and dedication, but it is a worthwhile enterprise. These steps should help you become a master of analysis and improve your work performance, leadership, and job success.

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