With any job, the need to analyse is always importance. If you’re working with results, you’ll need to regularly assess the performance of your campaigns, produce reports and see how adjustments can increase or maintain positive results. 

Learning to improve your analytical skills is not just relevant to workplace duties, but it can also help boost your critical thinking skills in your day-to-day life, preparing you for challenges you may face in your role. 

You can be a decision-maker, problem solver or regular observer; your analytical skills can be improved over time and we’ll look at a few ways you can do that and produce the best results in your work lives and outside activities.  

Take an online analytics course

An analytics course is a great place to begin for a new starter or an experienced professional, who wants to expand their knowledge and improve their skill-set. 

Once you have figured out which skills you would like to gain or improve on, finding a course which fits you is the next step. One of the challenges you may find with being committed to an online course, is finding time to complete it; especially if you’re working a full-time job. However, one of the benefits to studying online is the possibility of networking with fellow professionals. 

Joining a pool of fellow learners could help advance your career and provide you to invaluable resources. 

Practice your problem-solving skills 

In our previous blog “How to get a promotion”, we highlighted why being a problem-solver could be play a key role in being promoted. 

To every problem, there is a solution. Create scenarios (or take a existing ones) and create two to three solutions to each problem. Come up with test solutions for the problems and see which ones are most logical. Your problem-solving skills will not only aid you in your working life, but can also help with any challenges you stumble across outside of work. 

Engage with Data 

The only way in which your skills will improve, is if you use them often. They can take time to get used to, so any opportunity you have to analyse information, take advantage. 

Practicing with your data sets and becoming familiar with terms is the first step to mastering any analytical tool. The marketing team may have some old reports that you can analyse and discuss to spot any trends. Ask questions about the data, what it means, how the report compiled and see if you can produce your own. 

Keep fit 
 

Regular fitness activities could be seen as a more fun way to bolster your analytical skills. The world of fitness now has various tools to help us keep on top of our exercise. Whether you go to the gym regularly or are up early for your morning runs or yoga, you’re steadily coming up with routines to live by. 

You’re going through the same gym routine, you know how long you want to run for, you know the music that keeps you going, when to enter and leave the gym – you’re analysing this. If a problem arises, you have an alternative. Knowing sequencing can prepare you well for the workplace -your routine is in-tact. 

Play brain games 

This is a great test for those who enjoy puzzles and brain-teasers. Brain games will challenge you to think deeply and logically. If you’re into board games, the likes of Scrabble, Soduku and Connect-4, are classic examples of games where you have to think quickly and logically to come up with a solution. 

Play nicely now! 

Read more books 

By reading often, no matter the material, will keep your mind going and keep you alert. Book clubs are often a good way to connect with others, read, analyse and discuss the book you are reading. It will also force you to come up with new ways for your brain to think in new ways and encourage you to view ideas differently.

There are various ways to help you improve your analytical skills to help yourself and those around you. Knowledge consumption is key; and it is important to regularly take part in activities which challenge you to think strategically and problem-solve. 

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