Analystical thinking

Analytical thinking involves identifying and defining a problem and then solving it by using data in an organized, step-by-step manner.

There are 5 aspects:

• Visualization
• Strategy
• Problem-orientation
• Correlation
• Big-picture and detail-oriented thinking

Visualization

Visualization is the graphical representation of information.

Strategy

Strategizing helps data analysts see what they want to achieve with the data and how they can get there.

Strategy also helps improve the quality and usefulness of the data we collect.

Problem-orientation

Data analysts use a problem-oriented approach in order to identify, describe, and solve problems.

Data analysts also ask a lot of questions. This helps improve communication and saves time while working on a solution.

Correlation

A correlation is like a relationship.

Correlation does not equal causation.

Big-picture and detail-oriented thinking

This means being able to see the big picture as well as the details.

Big-picture thinking helps you zoom out and see possibilities and opportunities.

Detail-oriented thinking is all about figuring out all of the aspects that will help you execute a plan.

Three questions to ask

Root cause

A root cause is the reason why a problem occurs.

We use Five why, ask "why" five times, to reveal the root cause.

Gap analysis

Gap analysis lets you examine and evaluate how a process works currently in order to get where you want to be in the future.

The general approach to gap analysis is understanding where you are now compared to where you want to be. Then you can identify the gaps that exist between the current and future state and determine how to bridge them.

What did we not consider before?

This is a great way to think about what information or procedure might be missing from a process.