Critical Thinking – the art of asking good questions

Critical Thinking on high demand​

According to the report Future of Jobs Report 2020, created by World Economic Forum, in ​2025 critical thinking will be one of the most important skills at work. “Half of us will need to reskill in the next five years, as the “double-disruption” of the economic impacts of the pandemic and increasing automation transforming jobs takes hold.” – World Economic Forum sais. That is why we need to learn and use skills highlighted in the report. Among them – critical thinking.

 

critical thinkins is one of the top skills of future

 

Problems with thinking critically

  • There are many definitions of what critical thinking is​
  • It is not part of education – we don’t know how to do it​
  • Thinking leads to discovering things we don’t know – this brings discomfort​
  • We don’t have time to Stop & Think​
  • It is difficult to measure the result ​

 

What is Critical Thinking ​

One of the definitions of critical thinking reads:

„We understand critical thinking to be purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based. CT is essential as a tool of inquiry. (…).” ​- Critical Thinking: A Statement of Expert Consensus for Purposes of Educational Assessment and Instruction (1988)​

​We can say that critical thinking is the development of a robust answer to a question.

Remember, that critical thinking is NOT:

  • Criticism ​
  • Looking for errors and mistakes to point them out

 

What critical thinking enable​s

The list is long. We can find on it for example:

  • Creating hypothesis, collecting data, analysis  ​
  • Verifying sources ​
  • Processing information​
  • Thinking of your thinking​
  • Telling fact from opinion​
  • Thinking of consequences​
  • Ability to create logical connections​
  • Questioning what is „obvious”, noticing assumptions and biases​

​

So how to do it? By asking good questions!

Critical Thinking is a lot about asking better questions​. They open new perspectives, create a dialog, engage.

 

How to ask good questions?​

  1. Hold your hypotheses loosely​
  2. Listen more than you talk​
  3. Leave your queries open-ended​
  4. Stew in a problem​
  5. Ask the hard follow-up questions​
  6. Be curious

 

Pitfalls when asking questions​

  • Closed-Ended Questions​
  • Leading Questions​
  • Overwhelming or Compex Questions​
  • Assuming Understanding​
  • „Machine gun” of questioning​
  • Lack of Active Listening​

​To ask good questions, do the opposite…

 

How to become an artist of good questions

  • Be curious & Listen actively​
  • Seek clarity & Start with „What” & „How”​
  • Avoid leading or biased questions​
  • Practice empathy & Be patient ​
  • Be open-minded​
  • Reflect on your questions​
  • Practice regularly​

 

If you want to learn more about this topic, check the full webinar: Critical Thinking: The Art of Asking Good Questions.

 

Run your training with us!

If you want to work on your competence, skills needed in a remote work or wellbing in your team, ETTA Leadership & Culture specialises in and provides training on development programmes for leaders and teams. See the offer.

 

Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash