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Where do we start? What are Analytical Skills? What are examples of analytical skills? Why are analytical skills important? Where do we start? What are the problems? What seems to be the problem? What types of problems are these? How do you plan to resolve these issues? These are basic questions; there are many more. Analytical skill is the ability to deconstruct information into smaller categories in order to draw conclusions. What are Analytical Skills? Analytical skills encompass a candidate’s ability to break down a complex problem and associated data and apply critical thinking to solve the problem or make a decision. Critical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving are closely associated with analytical skills. What are examples of analytical skills? List of Analytical Skills Ask the right questions Research Communication Creativity Data and metrics interpreting Data mining Diagnostics Forecasting Organization Problem-solving Reporting Theorizing Troubleshooting Brainstorming Critical thinking Creating all kind of analyses. The ability to win argumentations. The assessment of a situation applying logical thinking. Doing audits. The creation of a benchmarking. Budgeting a predefined budget. The calculation of a project or a task. The summary of a customer group for the classification of data. Collaboration with others to solve a problem together. The comparison of different scenarios and all other types of comparison. A thought-out solution to conflict resolution. The continuous improvement of yourself, products and processes. The exact verification of correctness. Recognizing correlations. Cost savings in the private household and in businesses. Gathering, determining and evaluating data during the process of data collection. Recognition of important data through data mining. Decision making together in a group. Making a diagnosis based on various symptoms. The evaluation of information. The examination of correlations. The _______ management of your ______. Increasing group productivity by exploiting potentials to improve. Information gathering on a specific topic. The strategic building of interpersonal relationships to achieve your goals (more about the ability in this article). Taking the annual inventory of a _______. The investigation of something to solve a problem. The systematic management of people and projects. Using mindfulness to recognize your own situation. The use of non-verbal communication to influence your counterpart. A single optimization of products and processes. The planning of a project. Prioritizing tasks and problems. The problem identification of a situation. Problem-solving of a task. The process analysis of a business process. Reporting to others. Researching a theory and delivering results. Realize what you don’t know. Make no assumptions. Don’t take what you see at face value. Turn information into knowledge. The strategic planning of a company or project. The ability to deliver results productively during teamwork. Systematic troubleshooting of systems and products. Skillful verbal communication for different audiences. Written communication to explain ideas and decisions. What do we know already? What do we need to know? What are the expected results? How will we act on this once we have the data? How much time am I allotted on this research? When is the information needed? Analytical thinking can help you investigate complex issues, make decisions and develop solutions—and you likely already possess many analytical skills that employers value. The process usually involves several steps: Identifying a topic, problem or issue Gathering information Developing solutions or furthering your understanding of the topic Testing solutions or new ideas based on what you’ve learned Post-analysis, or reviewing what solutions worked, or assessing your new knowledge Why are analytical skills important? Analytical skills are important because it allows you to find solutions to common problems and make decisions about what actions to take next. Understanding problems and analyzing the situation for viable solutions is a key skill in every position at every level. To improve your analytical skills, consider taking some of the following steps: Take on leadership roles that require the use of critical analytical skills Practice key analytical skills in your current role Take classes that emphasize the use of analytical skills Participate in activities that require the use of analytical skills such as team sports, games or reading Seek advice or mentorship from professionals in your field or desired industry Conduct research on best practices for your industry Improve your subject-matter knowledge, which is essential to faster problem-solving Analytical Skills in the Workplace: Skills and Examples Hiring applicants with strong analytical skills ensures your teams can identify and solve problems efficiently in your workplace. Developing your analytical skills will also help you assess the resumes and interviews of job candidates and match the best ones with vacant positions in your organization. Key factors for analytical skills There are several activities you and other employees in your business can undertake to develop your analytical skills. Engaging in these activities regularly can strengthen the analytical skills of employees across your organization: •Communicating with others •Creation and development •Workplace assessment and evaluation •Data and information analysis •Research •Learning new skills WHAT EXACTLY ARE ANALYTICAL SKILLS? The ability to apply logical thinking to the gathering and analyzing of information? The ability to visualize, articulate, and solve problems and concepts? The ability to make decisions that make sense based on available information WHY ANALYZE INFORMATION? The political decisions we make can change the course of legislation locally, regionally and globally. The economic decisions we make impact how we live and the future of departments. 6. THE POWER OF THE QUESTION! Over 1 billion web pages devoted to questions for every type of situation! 7. The most critical question is... HOW will the information be used by the requestor? 8. REALIZE WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW? Don’t be embarrassed to ask simple questions? Start from the bottom to ensure you cover all the bases? Allow your research to guide you into different directions 9. MAKE NO ASSUMPTIONS Does the requestor really know what they want? Are you sure that the information will be easily found? Is it possible that someone may have gathered similar information? Do you have enough time to complete the task? If in doubt about the results or the format of the report…ask. 10. DON’T TAKE THINGS AT FACE VALUE Errors occur by both man and machine? Cross-reference statistics and research when possible? Look deeper to determine the real value in the information? Validate sources to ensure their credibility, especially those online From 500 feet this may look like Marilyn Monroe but on closer inspection it’s actually Albert Einstein 11. ASSESSING SOURCES OF INFORMATION Who created the source and why? Is this person a neutral party or do they have a vested interest? Did this person have first-hand knowledge or only reporting on what others heard and saw? Remember to cite your sources 12. After collecting information, review and assemble it. Create categories that help organize it. Look for patterns of recurring data. Add your perspective to what you’ve uncovered. Summarize analysis to crystallize the findings. Bring value to the information by keeping your requestor in mind 13. ANALYZING NEWS COVERAGE What kind of media outlet published the story? How is the topic positioned? Is the article balanced? What are the key messages? Is this from a regular columnist, freelancer or contributing author? What is the circulation/readership? Was this posted online as well? 14. ANALYZING BLOG POSTS Is this the real author or was the post hijacked? Is the content syndicated from another source? What’s their experience and association with the topic?? Who are they connected to online? Do they link to other networks that you can follow to get more insight on them? Have they covered this topic before? 15. ANALYTICAL QUIZ HOW MANY “F”S IN THE SENTENCE? 16. ANALYTICAL QUIZ WHAT WORD DO YOU SEE? 17. ANALYTICAL QUIZ WHAT WORD DO YOU SEE? 18. ANALYTICAL QUIZ WHAT DO YOU SEE? 19. ANALYTICAL QUIZ HOW MANY BLACK DOTS DO YOU SEE? |