Omnis Philosophy on Analysis and Critical Thinking

Introduction

We believe everyone is an analyst. People analyze situations everyday to answer questions. Analyzing these questions help us solve problems and make decisions.

 We believe critical thinkers are better analysts. Analysis is a human activity, and thus susceptible to human error.  Developing and practicing critical thinking skills protects analysts from cognitive pitfalls caused by our mindsets and biases. Because of this, it is extremely important that we utilize critical thinking when problem solving, as a form of quality control for our thought processes.

We believe following a structured analytic process enables critical thinking. We believe there is a best practice—a sequence of iterative steps—for analyzing all problems. Our method of performing analysis consists of defining the problem, generating hypotheses, acquiring and structuring information, testing hypotheses, drawing conclusions, and communicating the analysis. Breaking down analysis into these discrete steps enables analysts to critically focus on the mechanics and potential pitfalls of each analytic action, without losing sight of the overall purpose.

We believe quality analysis and critical thinking starts with understanding how you and others think. How we think about problems is driven by our mindsets and biases. A mindset is a mental framework that guides our expectations, and helps us filter information. Likewise, biases—our personal preferences and tendencies—influence how we filter and value information.  Biases can be further broken down into two types: values-based and cognitive biases. The former define what we prefer, while the latter skew how we process information and think. While mindsets and biases are not necessarily negative, it is important that we recognize them, and be able to acknowledge the potential for alternatives. Being able to successfully identify our own mindsets and biases, and consider other possibilities is a hallmark of critical thinking and effective analysis.

Our goal is to help our clients become critical thinkers.  Through Omnis' systematic approach to analysis, our clients learn to solve problems effectively and efficiently by employing sound critical thinking skills.

To learn more about our methodological approach, continue here.