Critical thinking involves questioning what is seen, heard, read, or experienced.^[1] Critical thinking ensures that the person is engaged in the learning process, critically considering the information or practice of skills.^[1] Critical thinking requires analysis, comparisons, contrasting ideas, making inferences and predictions, evaluating the strength of evidence, and drawing conclusions.^[1] It also requires the self-discipline to use reason and avoid impulsive conclusions.^[1]

Critical thinking is composed of various techniques to consider the soundness and relevance of ideas as they apply to understanding a situation or determining a way ahead.^[1] Teams that engage in critical thinking make assumptions explicit and identify differences and similarities in how facts apply to the situation.^[1] Critical thinking is an active process in situation assessment that seeks to obtain the most thorough and accurate understanding possible.^[1] Situation assessment is a dynamic process that requires time and effort.^[1] Practice develops skill at critical thinking.^[1] Skill will facilitate the ease and smoothness of application to assessment and problem solving.^[1]

These questions can guide critical thinking:

Leaders can encourage critical thinking by how they challenge and pose questions to their teams.^[1] The leaders best at developing others actively lead the team to consider alternative points of view, multiple contingencies and first, second and third consequences of multiple courses of action.^[1]