Critical Thinking in the Workplace

Critical thinking is a sought-after skill across UK workplaces. People who have the capacity to process information in an analytical way are in demand because it enables better decision making. If you have a natural ability in this area, you are blessed. Don’t worry if it’s not one of your core strengths or present in those around you. Critical thinking skills can be developed and enhanced.

As a leader, if you are making business decisions based on gut instinct or personal preference, you are failing every single person affected by them. Effective decision making and problem solving rely on decision makers seeing both sides of the issue, seeking out facts, and being able to analyse evidence to reach a fair, balanced and informed conclusion. Leaders, teams and organisations all benefit from developing these skills and become more innovative and creative when they are present.

This guide is for leaders, people managers and those in HR roles who would like to develop an awareness of critical thinking, build on their existing skills, and understand its importance in developing a creative, innovative and engaged business culture.

Theses are the themes we’ll cover:

• What is critical thinking?

• What can we learn from critical thinking theory?

• Why are critical thinking skills sought after in the workplace?

• Examples of critical thinking applications at work

• Five stages of critical thinking

• How to develop or improve your skills

What is critical thinking?

 “Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualising, applying, analysing, synthesising, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.”

- The Foundation for Critical Thinking (criticalthinking.org)

In short, critical thinking is about listening to all sources, questioning everything you discover, and communicating your views and decisions in a considered manner. It’s a top skill required by employers and even more so in our private lives. With AI, fake news and online scams all part of daily life, the need to exercise critical thinking is vital. Learning to stop and question the facts and evidence that you see, hear or read allows you to penetrate the surface of an issue and decide whether or not it is true, relevant or valuable to you and others.   

Critical thinking is not a new concept. As you will read on the next page, it’s been around for 2,500 years! Many of us developed our critical thinking skills in school, learning to use analytical methods to evaluate arguments and show our understanding of different perspectives and theories.

In organisations, leaders, line managers and HR professionals benefit from being able to apply this level of objectivity to:

1. Critique the ideas, opinions and arguments of others.

2. Build arguments and formulate opinions and communicate them clearly to others.

3. Make well-informed business cases for decisions.

4. Resolve businesses challenges and people issues.

Critical thinking theory

Let’s meet some key figures in the history and development of critical thinking practice.

Socrates (470-399 BC)

Possibly the earliest critical thinker, the Greek Philosopher Socrates talked about the need for humans to question common beliefs and explanations. He suggested that asking probing questions and applying reasoning and logic to analyse the answers were key to being able to justify your claims to knowledge. Socrates said that people in positions of power and authority were much more believable if they had all the facts to hand and based their ideas and decisions on deep analysis. Socrates’ beliefs are as relevant for today’s leaders as they were when he was alive.   

John Dewey (1910)

Also known as the ‘Father of Critical Thinking’, John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist and educator widely credited with coining the term ‘critical thinking’. Dewey discussed how reflective thinking takes a scientific attitude of mind. He introduced the concept into US educational environments to improve the way students researched and developed their ideas and studies. His theories continue to shape the way we learn and think to this day.

Watson Glaser critical thinking theory (1941)

Edward Glaser developed a theory that critical thinking was based on:  

1. A wise attitude in considering problems

2. Knowledge of logical investigation

3. Skills in applying critical thinking methods.

In partnership with Goodwin Watson, he developed a critical thinking theory test to measure a person’s ability to absorb information, understand its significance and draw conclusions based on the data provided. Quite possibly an early version of the online skills assessments we ask candidates to take during recruitment.  

What can we learn from these figures?

As you can see, critical thinking has its roots in philosophy, education and science. The work of these prominent figures demonstrates that knowledge is power, continuous learning is vital, and critical thinking has always been an in-demand skill.  

Why are critical thinking skills highly valued in UK workplaces?

In the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2023, analytical thinking was the number one most important skill required by employers. When it comes to developing people skills, it was also the top skill businesses said they would be prioritising for 2027. It seems critical thinking is in demand across the globe. So, why is it such a sought-after skill?

There are many benefits of being able to apply critical thinking skills within a work environment. Problem solving and decision making are perhaps the top two. With the changing nature of work and technology advancing by the day, people leaders and professionals continually face complex situations. Developing the ability to assess all parts of a problem and following a systematic process to overcome challenges can help managers to tackle issues and make better decisions.  

In practical terms, critical thinking supports a line manager to deal with conflict in their team, and a HR manager undertaking a disciplinary investigation or planning how to communicate organisational change. In all of these scenarios following a clear thinking process will create clarity, understanding and help you to make informed choices.

More reasons why critical thinking has become a sought-after skill

Removes cognitive bias

Drives innovation

Consider the implications of our decisions on others

Helps us get to the root cause of a problem

Enables us to test theories

Separates fact from fiction and establish the truth

Creates a balanced view 

Improves empathy, understanding and opens the mind

Eliminates gut reactions and sweeping generalisations

Encourages teamwork and collaboration

Creates an appreciation of how others think

Drives innovative thinking and new ideas 

Improves reasoning skills

How do you demonstrate critical thinking at work?

Two fictional workplace scenarios to help you understand the practical application of critical thinking.

Scenario 1: Conflict within your team

You’ve noticed some animosity between two members of your team, John and Ruth. You suspect there’s been a recent disagreement, which has escalated and has started to affect the quality of their work and morale amongst the wider team. You invite John and Ruth to speak to you separately to ask what has happened and understand their perspectives. Using open questions, you ask each of them how they would like to resolve the disagreement. At the same time, you speak to other team members to gain their views of what has happened and how the situation is impacting them. You also request guidance on company procedure from your HR representative and weigh up all the evidence to help you come up with a resolution that’s acceptable to all.      

Exercising critical thinking in this scenario helps a manager to maintain impartiality, brainstorm problems and involve your whole team in decisions that affect them. It helps you to appreciate others’ views and personal motivations when reaching your conclusion.

Scenario 2: Organising the work Christmas party

Often the responsibility of the HR team, Christmas parties can turn into such bones of contention! Where to go, what to do, what date to hold it, how to include everyone - just a few of the challenges likely to arise. Do employees even want a Christmas party or would they prefer smaller, more frequent celebrations throughout the year?

Applying systematic thinking here will involve every employee in the decision-making process. You might research some possibilities then canvas opinion through an online poll or a suggestion form, ask for opinions at team meetings, and then assess all the information you’ve gathered to make an informed choice that reflects what employees most want. In this scenario the new ideas generated by critical thinking may increase collaboration and engagement, and may lead to a conclusion you had not considered.   

For more on the practical application of critical thinking, listen to this CIPD podcast. 

The five stages of critical thinking

1. Question

What’s the problem, question or challenge you need to address? Every situation has a big question or issue at its heart. Write this down in simple terms so you never lose sight of it. You should keep referring back to your question as you progress through the thinking process.

2. Research

Gather data, facts and evidence from different people and a variety of sources. Reading around your subject will help you to become more informed. Your research may involve talking to people, asking for opinions, reading reports and seeking out new evidence. Put your own personal biases aside and listen with the intention of understanding the question from every perspective. 

3. Analysis

Keep an open mind as you look at all the evidence you’ve gathered. Question everything you see! Check the accuracy and reliability of data. Interpret and analyse all information with the aim of reaching a well-reasoned conclusion or solution.

4. Evaluate

It’s time to weigh up the consequences and impacts of each possible conclusion. Discuss the evidence with trusted colleagues. Test out different scenarios and possibilities. You might revise your solution or decision based on feedback.

5. Conclude

Make your judgement based on all the evidence you have collected and considered. Once you’ve decided how to proceed, think about formulating your response and communicating this with clarity and consideration for everyone impacted by the outcome. Always keep in mind the practicalities and possible implications of your decision and your words.

How to develop your critical thinking skills

Nobody is incapable of critical thinking! With the right motivation, anyone can work on improving their skills. Here are some tools and techniques to develop, improve or hone your critical thinking skills in the workplace, and introduce the concept to your team. 

Profile yourself and your team

Self-awareness is a valuable tool. Psychometric tests, skills analysis assessments and personality profiling can teach us a lot about our own skills and educate teams about each other. They aid our understanding, help teams to connect, and build a more innovative, creative and productive workplace. 

Tests can often be accessed for free online or you can ask a HR company like ourselves who will not only provide access to the testing software, but also guide you through the process of analysing your results. If this is something you’d like to know more about, contact our team.

Open questioning

Asking open questions can lead us to discover new ideas and perspectives. Instead of asking closed questions which require a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer, choose an open style of questioning.

Examples include:

• How do you feel about...?

• Tell me how you came to that conclusion...

• Describe what would happen if...?

• What are your ideas for...?

• How do you think we could improve...?

Avoid questions that begin with ‘Can you’ or ‘Do you’, which might result in a short (usually unhelpful) positive or negative response.

Mind mapping

If you are a visual person or you need to get lots of information out of your own head, mind mapping is a useful technique. Start by writing down your central question in the middle of your paper. Then let your mind flow off into different areas of thinking, adding your thoughts and evidence you’ve collected to your mind map like the spokes of a wheel. Your map can become anything you want! You might draw connections between pieces of information and use different colours for different themes. Mind maps are a great tool for brainstorming with your team or when you need to capture lots of information quickly.    

Weigh up the pros and cons

An expensive purchase like a house or a car is a huge investment and therefore a decision we take our time to make. We look into mortgage rates, insurance costs, crime rates, proximity to schools, get a surveyor in to check the property over. If you have to make a choice between two houses, or you and your partner are in dispute over which to go for, creating a simple pros and cons list allows you to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of different properties.  

Business decisions are also crucial when it comes to investing financial and human resources. It makes sense take a similar approach. Use a SWOT analysis to apply critical thinking to business decisions and challenges. 

Ask What If...? what’s in it for me?

These two questions allow you to consider how a decision may impact others. Use them to play out scenarios in your own mind or with a colleague to truly understand the implications of your conclusion for everyone involved. 

Personal development

We offer a range of affordable programmes and workshops designed to enhance critical thinking skills. Interactive and accessible to all, ask us about our Problem Solving and Problem Solving Excellence workshops or how we can support you with bespoke training solutions.

If you would like to discuss any of the issues covered in this ebook, or require extra HR support, get in touch with our team of professionals today. We’re here to help. Call us on 0161 941 2426 or email p3advice@p3pm.co.uk