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Analytical Thinking

Analyzing and synthesizing information to understand issues, identify options, and support sound decision making.
Level 1. Analyzes basic situations

BEHAVIORS

  • Breaks straightforward situations into discrete tasks or activities.
  • Distinguishes between critical and irrelevant pieces of information.
  • Gathers input /information from a few different sources to reach a conclusion.

QUESTIONS

  • Can you tell us about a specific problem you have had to analyze?

Probing Questions

* Did you follow a process in analyzing the problem?

* What components did you determine were contributing to the problem?

* How did analyze the problem help you to find a solution to it?

* What was the outcome of this process?

  • Describe a problem you had to solve that required you to gather information from a few different sources.

Probing Questions

* What was the problem?

* What types of information did you need to seek out?

* How did you determine what the most essential pieces of information were?

* How did you know what pieces of information were less relevant or irrelevant?

  • Tell us about a situation where you had to make a decision or solve a problem based on a number of options.

Probing Questions

* What was the decision/problem?

* What were the options available to you?

* What factors did you take into consideration when determining how to proceed?

* What was the outcome of the situation?

Level 2. Identifies critical relationships in information

BEHAVIORS

  • Identifies critical connections and patterns in information/data.
  • Draws logical conclusions based on an in-depth analysis of information.
  • Recognizes the causes and consequences of actions and events that are not readily apparent.
  • Anticipates obstacles considering the next steps.

QUESTIONS

  • Please tell us about a time when you were able to foresee that a particular solution would be most successful in a specific situation.

Probing Questions

* What was the problem you were addressing?

* What was the solution?

* Why did you believe this particular solution would work in this particular situation?

* Did the solution work? Why, or why not?

  • Describe a situation when you were able to anticipate certain obstacles that were going to occur and create a problem.

Probing Questions

* What was the situation?

* What obstacles did you anticipate?

* How did you know these obstacles were going to occur?

* What did you do to deal with the anticipated obstacles?

* What was the outcome?

  • Tell us about a time when your ability to identify linkages between different aspects of a situation or issue resulted in a better understanding or a better approach to the situation or issue.

Probing Questions

* What was the situation/issue?

* What relationships or linkages did you identify?

* How did seeing this linkage help to improve the outcome?

Level 3. Analyzes complex situations

BEHAVIORS

  • Analyzes complex situations, breaking each into its constituent parts.
  • Evaluates alternative causes or ways of interpreting complex information.
  • Identifies connections between situations that are not obviously related.
  • Identifies gaps in information and makes assumptions in order to continue the analysis and/or take action.

QUESTIONS

  • Describe a time when you had to analyze a problem to arrive at a solution.

Probing Questions

* What is an example of a time when you did this?

* What steps did you take to analyze the problem?

* What were the key factors /elements? Which one was the most critical?

* How did your analysis help you to deal with the situation?

  • Tell us about a situation where you identified a number of causes or ways of interpreting information.

Probing Questions

* What was the situation?

* What were the alternative ways of interpreting the information that you had gathered/received?

* How did you evaluate the varied interpretations?

* What interpretation did you adopt in the end?

* Did your final interpretation prove to be useful/accurate?

  • Please describe a situation where you recognized that a certain pattern of events, or circumstances, consistently led to one or more problems.

Probing Questions

* What was the pattern?

* How did you come to realize this?

* What factors contributed to the creation of problems?

* How did you use this knowledge to deal with the problems or issues that arose?

Level 4. Applies broad analysis

BEHAVIORS

  • Integrates information from diverse sources, often involving large amounts of information.
  • Thinks several steps ahead in deciding on the best course of action, anticipating likely outcomes.
  • Develops conceptual frameworks that guide analysis by describing patterns of complex relationships among elements and events in the operating environment.

QUESTIONS

  • Describe a time when you needed to think, not just one step, but several steps ahead, in dealing with a very broad and complex issue.

Probing Questions

* What issue were you dealing with?

* Describe each of the steps that you needed to think about.

* To what extent did your ability to think ahead contribute to producing a better outcome?

  • Could you describe a time when you were able to integrate large amounts of information from diverse sources?

Probing Questions

* Why was it necessary to use a variety of sources?

* What sources did you use?

* What were the benefits of using diverse sources?

* What was the outcome?

Level 5. Applies a whole systems perspective

BEHAVIORS

  • Deals simultaneously with broad issues and detailed analysis.
  • Adopts a whole systems perspective, assessing and balancing vast amounts of diverse information on the varied systems and sub-systems that comprise and affect the working environment.
  • Identifies multiple relationships and disconnects in processes in order to identify options and reach conclusions.
  • Thinks beyond the organization and into the future, balancing multiple perspectives when setting the direction or reaching conclusions (e.g., social, economic, partner, stakeholder interests, short- and long-term benefits, national and global implications).

QUESTIONS

  • Describe a situation when you needed to assess and balance vast amounts of diverse information.

Probing Questions

* Describe the situation.

* Describe the kinds of information that you analyzed and/or considered.

* What made this information diverse?

* Describe your analysis.

* What was the outcome?

  • Could you tell us about a time where you were able to balance multiple perspectives when setting the direction or reaching a conclusion?

Probing Questions

* Describe the situation.

* Describe the multiple perspectives?

* How did you balance the multiple perspectives?

* What was the outcome?