13 Important Judgement Skills And How To Improve Them

An interview is a great place to showcase your personality, highlight your leadership strengths and positively impact your potential employer. Having judgement aptitudes like flexibility, reasoning, communication and negotiation can influence the hiring decision or promotion to a leadership role in your favour. It is important to work on some key judgment competencies to get hired for your desired job role. In this article, we define judgement skills and their importance, explore 13 examples of these skills and learn five tips to improve your abilities for the same.

What are judgement skills?

Judgement skills give you the ability to make well-informed decisions, reach rational conclusions and create objective opinions. Your judgement competency gives an interviewer or manager insight into how effective your decision-making skills can be in a leadership role. It also indicates how well you can actively listen and be honest in your work. All these factors tell your potential employers how well you fit into a role with more responsibility.

Why is judgement competency important?

One of the most important roles of a leader in an organisation is to make well-informed decisions that have the potential to meet the organisation's goals. Judgement capabilities are important because they give your potential employer confidence that you can perform decision-making tasks efficiently. Often in leadership roles, it may be necessary to make timely decisions with limited information.

Even at a job interview for leadership roles, hiring managers may ask you to share an example of a time when you had applied good judgement techniques at your workplace.

Examples of judgement skills

The following are 13 important skills to improve upon to get better at the judgement abilities:

1. Flexibility

Depending on the situation, the appropriate strategy for making judgments may differ. With every new decision you make, it becomes important to be open to the idea of personalising your decision-making process, depending on the scenario. Being flexible also allows you to easily consider and account for possible future outcomes while making a sequential decision.

Related: How To Be Flexible At Work: A Complete Guide

2. Understanding biases

Biases often affect the decision-making process. While it is natural to have some preconceived notions, these biases might influence how you make decisions. Making an effort to examine your options and evidence from a more objective standpoint can help to cancel the effect of biases while making a judgement.

3. Problem-solving

Problem-solving is an analytical technique for identifying potential solutions to a given scenario. Good judgement often involves comparing the factors and various possible solutions. Being good at solving problems allows you to better analyse a variety of situations, identify hidden causes and better prioritise solutions based on potential outcomes.

Related: Problem Solving Questions For Interview (With Examples And Tips)

4. Research skills

Comprehensive research skills allow you to quickly gather and analyse relevant information around a topic or situation. The more information you have around the subject, the better you become at making an appropriate judgement. Proper research also helps you find your prejudices, allowing you to consider them while making critical and objective judgments.

Related: How To Become A Market Research Analyst: A Complete Guide

5. Pattern recognition

Recognising patterns allows you to plan and forecast what may happen next. Pattern recognition is the process of comparing information received with information already stored in the brain. When faced with a difficult circumstance, you can use the recognition-primed decision (RPD) model to make quick, effective decisions. In this model, you produce possible paths of action, compare them to the limitations of the situation and choose the first option of action that is not rejected.

6. Data analysis

Businesses now have more data than ever to help them make well-informed decisions. Data analysis includes taking the data you gathered and converting it into models, tables and other visual representations that can help others comprehend complicated trends. A data-driven judgement is often more accurate and solid than a decision based on gut feelings.

Related: How To Become a Data Analyst: A Complete Guide

7. Forecasting

Predicting future success and potential obstacles allows you to expand your analysis and build risk management strategies. Forecasting involves processing detailed information and arriving at meaningful conclusions. Effective forecasting techniques increase the chances of predictable outcomes and help the organisation to be better prepared to handle the consequences of your judgement.

8. Inductive reasoning

The method of drawing broad inferences from specific facts is known as inductive reasoning. This concept assists people in increasing their awareness and understanding of the world. It begins with a particular premise and leads to a broad conclusion. Inductive reasoning also helps researchers and scientists in developing theories that can be tested further. The integrity of the conclusion is probable in an inductive argument, which means it may or may not be true.

9. Deductive reasoning

Deductive reasoning requires starting with a fact and working your way to its logical conclusion. This method of reasoning begins with a broad assertion and concludes with a precise conclusion. It is an excellent approach to develop one's critical thinking skills and this is often applied in everyday work. Deductive reasoning frameworks are also used in several research approaches that examine various hypotheses. In a logical argument, if all the premises are true, then the conclusion could be true as well. In a deductive argument, the truth of the conclusion is unquestionable.

10. Communication

Various perspectives may emerge on an issue in a new and distinct manner when you communicate with others in an organisation. Without input from a variety of stakeholders, there may be a higher risk of a less desirable decision being made. Comprehensive communication not only allows you to gather useful inputs from various stakeholders but also to convey your judgement effectively.

11. Negotiation skills

Negotiation is a strategic dialogue that aims to resolve a problem in a way that is agreeable to both parties. Often presenting a judgment may attract opposing thoughts. The developed negotiation skills of a leader allow to effectively address the concerns of management and the team.

12. Pragmatism

The notion of pragmatism is that ideas, strategies and initiatives are judged on their utility, workability and practicality. It helps to accept challenging real-world conditions like uncertainty and implementation flaws. This can aid in decision-making in situations where no ideal solution is likely to work or when an ideal solution is practically impossible.

13. Situational awareness

Situational awareness is essential for making a reliable judgement. It requires outward attention, listening, analysing and considering the dynamics of the environment. It also requires a high level of awareness to manage an organisation's strengths and problems. Situational awareness gives you the ability to be attentive in responding to rapidly changing circumstances.

5 tips to develop your judgment abilities

Here are five tips you may consider following to improve your judgement abilities:

1. Take your time

Allow yourself time to consider your options. If you know you are required to make a decision by a certain date, start gathering information and viewing your options far ahead of time, rather than a day or two before the deadline. Making a plan with deadlines for each stage of the decision-making process is often beneficial.

2. Explore alternatives

Consider all of your options before making a decision. This is a stage you can repeat as needed throughout your decision-making process. Even though it may be tempting to rely on one option, try to come up with multiple alternatives and thoroughly evaluate each possibility.

3. Create rules for yourself

Make rules for yourself about how you make decisions. Making rules for yourself ahead of time can assist you in making a calm and rational decision. For example, creating a detailed budget strategy for an upcoming project may guarantee that your final judgement meets your budgetary needs.

4. Think logically

A judgment is more efficient when you are thinking clearly and reasonably. When you are overly excited or unhappy, it is easy to make poor decisions. Your emotions may impede your judgement if you are personally invested in the process. Try to remain as emotionally neutral as possible to make an objective decision.

Related: A Complete Guide On How To Think Logically For Any Occasion

5. Talk to someone

Discuss your decision, evidence and various options with someone else. Explaining your thought process to someone can help you gain a new perspective on your approaching decision and also help you uncover any oversights. You may also ask if the other person can conceive of any additional evidence or alternatives to your judgement.