Philip Ayles’ Post

The ability to process information, make decisions and solve difficult problems matters more than ever in the workplace. Day to day, too many people get involved in unnecessary conflict, make poor decisions and waste organizational resources because they fail to stop and think intentionally and deliberately. According to PwC, 77% of employers in financial services say that critical thinking skills are crucial for their business, compared with digital skills at 70%. The same goes for most other industries! The first step to thinking critically is to stop automatically accepting what you read or hear...and take time to question it. Here is a simple framework to help you develop your critical thinking skills. This framework consists of five steps: Questioning, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis, and Reflection (QAESR). 1. QUESTIONING Objective: Cultivate curiosity and the habit of asking questions. Actions: Ask open-ended questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Challenge assumptions: Why do I believe this? Is this always true? Seek clarification: What does this mean? Can you explain more? 2. ANALYSIS Objective: Break down information into its components. Actions: Identify the main ideas: What are the key points? Examine evidence: What evidence supports this? Is the evidence reliable? Look for patterns: Are there any recurring themes or concepts? 3. EVALUATION Objective: Assess the credibility and validity of information. Actions: Check for bias: Is there a bias in the information? Who is providing it? Compare perspectives: How do different sources view this issue? Evaluate sources: Are the sources credible and reputable? 4. SYNTHESIS Objective: Combine different pieces of information to form a new understanding. Actions: Integrate information: How do these pieces of information fit together? Formulate hypotheses: What conclusions can I draw from this information? Develop new ideas: How can this information be applied in a new way? 5. REFLECTION Objective: Think about the thinking process and its effectiveness. Actions: Reflect on conclusions: Do my conclusions make sense? Are they supported by evidence? Assess thinking process: Was my approach effective? What could I improve? Plan for improvement: What will I do differently next time? 💡 Practice this framework regularly in different scenarios: reading articles, solving problems, discussing ideas, and making decisions. Over time, these steps will become more intuitive, and critical thinking skills will improve. #criticalthinking #criticalthinkingskills #professionaldevelopment #personaldevelopment

The ability to process information, make decisions and solve difficult problems matters more than ever in the workplace. Day to day, too many people get involved in unnecessary conflict, make poor decisions and waste organizational resources because they fail to stop and think intentionally and deliberately. According to PwC, 77% of employers in financial services say that critical thinking skills are crucial for their business, compared with digital skills at 70%. The same goes for most other industries! The first step to thinking critically is to stop automatically accepting what you read or hear...and take time to question it. Here is a simple framework to help you develop your critical thinking skills. This framework consists of five steps: Questioning, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis, and Reflection (QAESR). 1. QUESTIONING Objective: Cultivate curiosity and the habit of asking questions. Actions: Ask open-ended questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Challenge assumptions: Why do I believe this? Is this always true? Seek clarification: What does this mean? Can you explain more? 2. ANALYSIS Objective: Break down information into its components. Actions: Identify the main ideas: What are the key points? Examine evidence: What evidence supports this? Is the evidence reliable? Look for patterns: Are there any recurring themes or concepts? 3. EVALUATION Objective: Assess the credibility and validity of information. Actions: Check for bias: Is there a bias in the information? Who is providing it? Compare perspectives: How do different sources view this issue? Evaluate sources: Are the sources credible and reputable? 4. SYNTHESIS Objective: Combine different pieces of information to form a new understanding. Actions: Integrate information: How do these pieces of information fit together? Formulate hypotheses: What conclusions can I draw from this information? Develop new ideas: How can this information be applied in a new way? 5. REFLECTION Objective: Think about the thinking process and its effectiveness. Actions: Reflect on conclusions: Do my conclusions make sense? Are they supported by evidence? Assess thinking process: Was my approach effective? What could I improve? Plan for improvement: What will I do differently next time? 💡 Practice this framework regularly in different scenarios: reading articles, solving problems, discussing ideas, and making decisions. Over time, these steps will become more intuitive, and critical thinking skills will improve. #criticalthinking #criticalthinkingskills #professionaldevelopment #personaldevelopment

The ability to process information, make decisions and solve difficult problems matters more than ever in the workplace. Day to day, too many people get involved in unnecessary conflict, make poor decisions and waste organizational resources because they fail to stop and think intentionally and deliberately. According to PwC, 77% of employers in financial services say that critical thinking skills are crucial for their business, compared with digital skills at 70%. The same goes for most other industries! The first step to thinking critically is to stop automatically accepting what you read or hear...and take time to question it. Here is a simple framework to help you develop your critical thinking skills. This framework consists of five steps: Questioning, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis, and Reflection (QAESR). 1. QUESTIONING Objective: Cultivate curiosity and the habit of asking questions. Actions: Ask open-ended questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Challenge assumptions: Why do I believe this? Is this always true? Seek clarification: What does this mean? Can you explain more? 2. ANALYSIS Objective: Break down information into its components. Actions: Identify the main ideas: What are the key points? Examine evidence: What evidence supports this? Is the evidence reliable? Look for patterns: Are there any recurring themes or concepts? 3. EVALUATION Objective: Assess the credibility and validity of information. Actions: Check for bias: Is there a bias in the information? Who is providing it? Compare perspectives: How do different sources view this issue? Evaluate sources: Are the sources credible and reputable? 4. SYNTHESIS Objective: Combine different pieces of information to form a new understanding. Actions: Integrate information: How do these pieces of information fit together? Formulate hypotheses: What conclusions can I draw from this information? Develop new ideas: How can this information be applied in a new way? 5. REFLECTION Objective: Think about the thinking process and its effectiveness. Actions: Reflect on conclusions: Do my conclusions make sense? Are they supported by evidence? Assess thinking process: Was my approach effective? What could I improve? Plan for improvement: What will I do differently next time? 💡 Practice this framework regularly in different scenarios: reading articles, solving problems, discussing ideas, and making decisions. Over time, these steps will become more intuitive, and critical thinking skills will improve. #criticalthinking #criticalthinkingskills #professionaldevelopment #personaldevelopment

The ability to process information, make decisions and solve difficult problems matters more than ever in the workplace. Day to day, too many people get involved in unnecessary conflict, make poor decisions and waste organizational resources because they fail to stop and think intentionally and deliberately. According to PwC, 77% of employers in financial services say that critical thinking skills are crucial for their business, compared with digital skills at 70%. The same goes for most other industries! The first step to thinking critically is to stop automatically accepting what you read or hear...and take time to question it. Here is a simple framework to help you develop your critical thinking skills. This framework consists of five steps: Questioning, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis, and Reflection (QAESR). 1. QUESTIONING Objective: Cultivate curiosity and the habit of asking questions. Actions: Ask open-ended questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Challenge assumptions: Why do I believe this? Is this always true? Seek clarification: What does this mean? Can you explain more? 2. ANALYSIS Objective: Break down information into its components. Actions: Identify the main ideas: What are the key points? Examine evidence: What evidence supports this? Is the evidence reliable? Look for patterns: Are there any recurring themes or concepts? 3. EVALUATION Objective: Assess the credibility and validity of information. Actions: Check for bias: Is there a bias in the information? Who is providing it? Compare perspectives: How do different sources view this issue? Evaluate sources: Are the sources credible and reputable? 4. SYNTHESIS Objective: Combine different pieces of information to form a new understanding. Actions: Integrate information: How do these pieces of information fit together? Formulate hypotheses: What conclusions can I draw from this information? Develop new ideas: How can this information be applied in a new way? 5. REFLECTION Objective: Think about the thinking process and its effectiveness. Actions: Reflect on conclusions: Do my conclusions make sense? Are they supported by evidence? Assess thinking process: Was my approach effective? What could I improve? Plan for improvement: What will I do differently next time? 💡 Practice this framework regularly in different scenarios: reading articles, solving problems, discussing ideas, and making decisions. Over time, these steps will become more intuitive, and critical thinking skills will improve. #criticalthinking #criticalthinkingskills #professionaldevelopment #personaldevelopment

The ability to process information, make decisions and solve difficult problems matters more than ever in the workplace. Day to day, too many people get involved in unnecessary conflict, make poor decisions and waste organizational resources because they fail to stop and think intentionally and deliberately. According to PwC, 77% of employers in financial services say that critical thinking skills are crucial for their business, compared with digital skills at 70%. The same goes for most other industries! The first step to thinking critically is to stop automatically accepting what you read or hear...and take time to question it. Here is a simple framework to help you develop your critical thinking skills. This framework consists of five steps: Questioning, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis, and Reflection (QAESR). 1. QUESTIONING Objective: Cultivate curiosity and the habit of asking questions. Actions: Ask open-ended questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Challenge assumptions: Why do I believe this? Is this always true? Seek clarification: What does this mean? Can you explain more? 2. ANALYSIS Objective: Break down information into its components. Actions: Identify the main ideas: What are the key points? Examine evidence: What evidence supports this? Is the evidence reliable? Look for patterns: Are there any recurring themes or concepts? 3. EVALUATION Objective: Assess the credibility and validity of information. Actions: Check for bias: Is there a bias in the information? Who is providing it? Compare perspectives: How do different sources view this issue? Evaluate sources: Are the sources credible and reputable? 4. SYNTHESIS Objective: Combine different pieces of information to form a new understanding. Actions: Integrate information: How do these pieces of information fit together? Formulate hypotheses: What conclusions can I draw from this information? Develop new ideas: How can this information be applied in a new way? 5. REFLECTION Objective: Think about the thinking process and its effectiveness. Actions: Reflect on conclusions: Do my conclusions make sense? Are they supported by evidence? Assess thinking process: Was my approach effective? What could I improve? Plan for improvement: What will I do differently next time? 💡 Practice this framework regularly in different scenarios: reading articles, solving problems, discussing ideas, and making decisions. Over time, these steps will become more intuitive, and critical thinking skills will improve. #criticalthinking #criticalthinkingskills #professionaldevelopment #personaldevelopment

The ability to process information, make decisions and solve difficult problems matters more than ever in the workplace. Day to day, too many people get involved in unnecessary conflict, make poor decisions and waste organizational resources because they fail to stop and think intentionally and deliberately. According to PwC, 77% of employers in financial services say that critical thinking skills are crucial for their business, compared with digital skills at 70%. The same goes for most other industries! The first step to thinking critically is to stop automatically accepting what you read or hear...and take time to evaluate first. Effective critical thinkers are open to multiple answers and ideas. They seek to take in all of the evidence to understand why something is (or isn’t) working.They gather enough information to prevent procrastination and progress with decision making. The best way to improving critical thinking skills is through reflection. Take time to reflect on your thoughts, decisions, and experiences to identify areas for improving critical thinking. If you need a little help, the STAR ⭐️ method is a simple self-assessment tool that adds structure to your reflection. Use STAR to consider: ✴️Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example. ✴️Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation. ✴️Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it. ✴️Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved. #criticalthinking #criticalthinkingskills #professionaldevelopment #personaldevelopment