The 21st century business world has been increasingly moving towards a more technology-based future. As a result, it has become increasingly important for employees in all fields to have strong critical thinking skills. The future of your business largely relies on the quality of your employees, and in order for these employees to be successful, they must have strong critical thinking skills.

“What are critical thinking skills?” You may ask.

In short, critical thinking is the ability to “critique” things. Employees with strong critical thinking skills can analyze situations, determine the best course of action, and then implement it in a way that has a positive outcome.

This is particularly important when it comes to problem-solving. There will always be problems, and it is your employees’ job to sort through these issues and find a solution that works best for everyone.

Without this skill, you run the risk of your business falling behind its competition or, even worse, going out of business.

With that in mind, here are five critical thinking skills that all employees should have.

1. Communication

When most people think of communication, they immediately think of speaking. However, communication involves a lot more than just speaking. In fact, it involves every aspect of sharing information and thoughts with one another.

This includes reading, writing, speaking, listening and expressing. When it comes to business and problem-solving, communication is particularly important. Employees with strong communication skills can sort through complicated issues and share their thoughts in a way that is easy to understand.

2. Collaboration

Collaboration involves teamwork and cooperation. It involves the ability to share ideas in a way that makes others want to help you accomplish a goal. It is a vital skill to have, as the success of any business largely relies on teamwork and collaboration. Employees with strong collaboration skills can work well with others and encourage teamwork in order to achieve a common goal or desired outcome.

3. Initiative

Initiative involves taking the lead and coming up with ideas for how a project can be accomplished. An employee with strong initiative skills will not wait around for others to take charge; instead, that employee will take charge and responsibility of a task or project and lead the way in accomplishing it.

4. Problem-solving

Employees with strong problem-solving skills can analyze a situation, come up with possible solutions and then implement said solutions in order to get the job done. This is a vital skill to have in any job, as every employee will come across problems (of varying degrees) that need to be solved in order to complete a project or task.

5. Thinking Outside the Box

Thinking outside the box involves looking at old problems in new ways or finding unconventional methods of solving a problem, as the name suggests. These types of problems-solving skills are looked upon favorably in the business world, as most businesses desire creative thinkers who can take a project in a new direction or try something different from the norm.