It is the most essential skill in the understanding, exploitation and reporting of Intelligence. Analysts must have a firm grasp of what it is and more importantly how it applies to their day-to-day everything.
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and then evaluating information which is gathered from or generated by observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication. It involves but not limited to questioning assumptions, discerning hidden biases, evaluating the evidence, and making reasonable thought out judgements. It is vital for problem solving and evaluating information to make informed decisions.
If an analyst is unable to hone this skill, they are going to make critical errors in their assessments and could potentially lead to decision makers coming to an incorrect conclusion.
Things to be aware of:
Confirmation Bias – When an individual will seek out information relating to their situation that only helps to reinforce their existing belief in that situation.
Anchoring – When an individual will latch on to a piece of information and then exclude all other data that pertains to the situation in quest simply because it was the first thing they agreed on.
Availability Heuristic – Thinking that events will occur based off of previous experiences the individual has had.
The Dunning Kruger Effect – When individuals without a grasp of knowledge on a topic or skill overestimate their understanding or competence in that area of expertise. Typically is the result of an inability to recognize their limitations.
