Ask questions to boost your critical thinking skills
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Today’s Tip
Ask Questions to Boost Your Critical Thinking Skills
No matter your role, critical thinking — the ability to effectively break down and analyze an issue in order to find a solution — will be core to your success. And at the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate effective questions. Here are a few ways to boost your ability to do this.
* Hold your hypotheses loosely. Good questions can lead you to fundamentally reconsider your initial assumptions — but you have to be willing to do so without defensiveness.
* Listen more than you talk. Active listening allows you to fully grasp another point of view, making it easier to question your own assumptions and biases.
* Leave your queries open-ended. Avoid asking yes-or-no questions. Instead, try to get the respondent to open up at length.
* Consider the counterintuitive. Every group needs someone who’s unafraid to challenge the status quo, in case you do need to change course.
* Sleep on it. A good night's rest can actually help your brain see a problem more clearly.
This tip is adapted from “Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions<https://hbr.org/2022/04/critical-thinking-is-about-asking-better-questions?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=mtod_notactsubs?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=mtod_actsubs&utm_content=signinnudge,”> by John Coleman
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Today’s Tip
Ask Questions to Boost Your Critical Thinking Skills
No matter your role, critical thinking — the ability to effectively break down and analyze an issue in order to find a solution — will be core to your success. And at the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate effective questions. Here are a few ways to boost your ability to do this.
* Hold your hypotheses loosely. Good questions can lead you to fundamentally reconsider your initial assumptions — but you have to be willing to do so without defensiveness.
* Listen more than you talk. Active listening allows you to fully grasp another point of view, making it easier to question your own assumptions and biases.
* Leave your queries open-ended. Avoid asking yes-or-no questions. Instead, try to get the respondent to open up at length.
* Consider the counterintuitive. Every group needs someone who’s unafraid to challenge the status quo, in case you do need to change course.
* Sleep on it. A good night's rest can actually help your brain see a problem more clearly.
This tip is adapted from “Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions<https://hbr.org/2022/04/critical-thinking-is-about-asking-better-questions?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=mtod_notactsubs?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=mtod_actsubs&utm_content=signinnudge,”> by John Coleman
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The learning doesn’t end with the back cover <https://hbr.org/the-latest?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=mtod_actsubs&utm_content=signinnudge&utm_term=subben_buyeracq_subarticle&utm_content=signinnudge>
New digital articles are posted every week on HBR.org — and subscribers have access to them all.
Read the latest articles <https://hbr.org/the-latest?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=mtod_actsubs&utm_content=signinnudge&utm_term=subben_buyeracq_subarticle&utm_content=signinnudge>
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Our special series with Marcus Buckingham on how to design your work to focus on what you love.
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