The world is changing. Rapidly. The production of knowledge, for example, through academic publications, is evolving exponentially. Technology, of which AI is the most emblematic example, is also following this trend. And what about the proliferation of dubious or even false information?
Unfortunately, in this complex and uncertain world, we all suffer from many prejudices. Within organisations, decision-making is becoming increasingly complex and risky.
As early as 1973-74, the work of Tversky and Kahneman highlighted the cognitive biases to which decision-makers were subject. Hogarth identified some thirty of these in 1987. And the work of Eisenhardt and Zbaracki, in 1992, showed that rationality was not the norm in decision-making processes within large organisations.
In this context, a skill is emerging: analytical thinking.
According to the World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs’ 2025 report, analytical thinking is and will remain the skill most in demand by large companies. This report is based on a sample of more than 1,000 large international companies. This skill has thus become a training priority for half of them.
So, what is analytical thinking?
According to the taxonomy of skills created by the World Economic Forum, analytical thinking is the ability to break down complex concepts and ideas into basic or fundamental principles. This skill encompasses critical thinking, which allows one to make judgements by analysing and interpreting facts and information.
The world of research has, of course, taken an interest in this skill. According to Facione (1990), analytical thinking involves skills such as classification, relating concepts and organising information, with the aim of identifying solutions or solving problems in a systematic way. According to Paul and Elder (2006), critical thinking covers skills such as clarifying concepts, analysing arguments and evaluating evidence and counter-arguments. It involves the ability to identify biases, prejudices and logical flaws.