High Potential Talent: Using Critical Thinking As A Talent Differentiator

Chris Forando, Sr. Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Talent, And Leader Development, Subway Camera Search

As industries and markets gain increasing complexity and fluidity, identifying and nurturing high-potential talent – or HiPo - remains a top priority for senior executives and their organizations amidst struggles to sustain competitive posture and drive growth. High-potentials are select employees, often in critical leadership roles, within an organization who embody the skills, capabilities, and attributes to excel in more senior roles in the future. Properly developed and deployed, these individuals possess the potential to have a disproportionate impact on the organization’s performance and success relative to their peers and are regarded as valuable strategic assets essential for long-term growth.

Among the most valued skills, critical thinking is crucial for high-potentials as it equips them with the skills needed for navigating complexity, decision-making, and complex problem-solving to drive innovation. This article discusses the importance of critical thinking for high-potential success and uses the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) as a talent assessment and differentiator. Additionally, strategies to develop employees’ critical-thinking skills are offered.

What is critical thinking? Critical thinking is a collective ability to objectively analyze and evaluate information, ideas, and situations to make well-informed decisions. In a leadership role, critical thinking plays a vital role in solving complex problems, understanding the needs of the organization and its stakeholders, and guiding teams toward success. Leaders who continuously strengthen their critical-thinking abilities position themselves and their teams for greater performance and outcomes.

The most widely known and utilized measure of critical thinking is the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA), a popular psychometric assessment tool designed to measure an individual’s critical-thinking ability. It consists of a series of multiple-choice questions that assess distinct aspects of critical thinking, such as deductive reasoning, logical interpretation, recognizing assumptions, drawing conclusions, and evaluating arguments. People who score high on the Watson Glaser are likely to be more intellectually resourceful, approach problem-solving from a logical and rational perspective, and see connections between disparate data sets.

"Critical thinking is an indispensable asset in today’s fast-paced and complex business landscape, and nurturing this ability will pay dividends to individuals, teams, and the organization"

At a previous employer, our talent management team conducted an analysis of the psychological factors that differentiated high potentials from high contributor employees within the organization. The analysis consisted of 12 high-potentials and 37 high-contributor employees who completed a battery of psychological tests for leadership effectiveness, personality, and critical thinking. On the WGCTA, the high-potential group scored in the 90th percentile (superior range) compared to the 56th percentile for the High Contributors. Of the twelve high-potential employees, seven of them scored in the 99th percentile. Recognizing our small population size for this analysis, the evidence suggested that the WGCTA appraisal may be a more effective and objective predictor of high potential than performance ratings, which many organizations today use in conjunction with other subjective measures.

A data point may represent two or more individuals who had the same WGCTA score and performance rating.

Here are strategies to strengthen the critical-thinking abilities of your high-potential employees:

1. Training and Workshops: Offer specialized training and workshops focused on critical-thinking skills. These sessions should include activities that challenge participants to analyze situations, solve problems, assess the accuracy and falsity of data, and make decisions based on evidence and sound reasoning.

2. Real-World Problem Solving: Assign high-potential individuals to cross-functional teams or special projects that require innovative problem-solving. Experiencing real-world challenges will help them develop practical critical-thinking skills.

3. Mentoring and Coaching: Pair high-potential employees with experienced mentors or coaches who can guide them in honing their critical-thinking abilities. Regular feedback and constructive criticism will accelerate their growth.

4. Encourage Questioning: Create a culture that values curiosity and encourages employees to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore alternative perspectives. This helps in developing a habit of critical thinking.

5. Conduct war-Gaming Exercises: Study competitors’ strategy and performance. Assign high potentials to conceptualize business scenarios and develop counter strategies from the competition’s perspective. Analyzing and discussing these scenarios will allow high-potential individuals to practice critical thinking in a controlled setting while simultaneously developing potential contingency plans.

6. Debate and Discussion: Organize debates or discussions on relevant topics to promote critical thinking and effective communication. Encourage participants to support their arguments with evidence and logical reasoning. Assign individuals to defend positions that contradict their existing schemas.

7. Read and Research: Emphasize the importance of staying informed by encouraging high-potential employees to enroll in

courses and workshops and read books, research papers, and articles related to their field of expertise, particularly in topic areas they have little familiarity. This practice expands both the depth and breadth of their knowledge base.

8. Critical Reflection and Self-Assessments: Encourage employees to reflect on their decision-making processes and outcomes regularly. This self-assessment helps them identify areas for improvement and refine their critical-thinking skills.

Critical thinking is an indispensable asset in today’s fast-paced and complex business landscape, and nurturing this ability will pay dividends to individuals, teams, and the organization. Through the accurate assessment and development of critical-thinking abilities with high potential, organizations can ensure a robust pipeline to lead their organization into the future. By integrating these strategies into high-potential development programs, organizations can strengthen critical-thinking abilities among high-potential individuals, empowering them to solve more complex problems and make better decisions, and becoming more effective leaders.