Guidelines for Divergent Thinking

Name: Guidelines for Divergent Thinking
Author: Daniel Cape

Learn to think divergently and foster creativity

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Course: On-Demand

Divergent thinking is the act of generating multiple solutions to a problem or multiple uses for an object. We are conditioned to believe that there is only one right answer, but this is wrong. Understanding the significance of divergent thinking, especially in business, will help you unlock your creative potential and alleviate a great deal of frustration when searching for solutions. Ultimately, you'll become more dynamic and empowered in your brainstorming process. Remember, there is always more than one right answer, and the best answer is usually one you may not expect. Imagine that you're in a room with a team of coworkers brainstorming the best way to improve fourth quarter sales. Mark suggests spending more time on marketing. Beth recommends face-to-face time with customers. Sarah throws out the idea that maybe the team should try developing a new product. Then it happens. Jim declares, no, we tried that in the past and it was a huge failure. The room goes silent and the creative flow has come to a halt. Why? Because someone judged an idea too soon, eliminating safety, trust and openness to unexpected solutions. Your goal during divergent thinking, similar to brainstorming, is to generate ideas, not evaluate their usefulness or application. That will come later in the process. For now, every idea and the divergent thinking phase should be shared and recorded, no matter how absurd or useless they may sound. Judging ideas too soon hinders the creative flow. People will be less likely to share ideas if each one is being scrutinized. Joining ideas during divergent thinking is like placing speed bumps on a highway. The goal is to go to the distance and enjoy the ride. At this point in the creative process, anything is possible. Let's return to Jim's statement about something not working previously. Perhaps it didn't work in the past, but that doesn't mean it won't work in the future. Why didn't it work? Has the company changed since then? Have customers or their economy changed? Maybe the previous method was flawed, and revisiting the idea now can shed new light on the problem. The goal is to be open to any idea and allow people to be imaginative in a safe and trusting environment, which means not judging ideas at this time. Everyone should be open to sharing their ideas.

Advanced Provider : Daniel Cape 5 Lessons · 12m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

The key to creative thinking is to think divergently: to generate multiple ways to solve a problem or use an object. Daniel Cape's module will take you step-by-step on how to think in a divergent way. Using an imaginary group of brainstorming coworkers, you will see how a safe environment where ideas—no matter how odd they may seem—are allowed to flourish.

What You'll Learn

Defer judgment when generating ideas so creative thinking is not stifled
Generate many ideas, including unorthodox and wild ones, to strengthen the creative process
Recognize why judging ideas is detrimental to creative thinking
Build upon others' ideas during group brainstorming rather than assigning credit
Apply divergent thinking to generate multiple ways to solve a problem or use an object

Key Takeaways

Divergent thinking means generating multiple ways to solve a problem or use an object, and is key to creative thinking.
Judging ideas is detrimental to the process of creative thinking.
Creating many ideas, including unorthodox ones, benefits the creative process.
When brainstorming as a group, it is important to build upon others' ideas and not assign credit.
A safe environment where ideas are allowed to flourish, no matter how odd they seem, supports creative thinking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about?

The course teaches divergent thinking, the key to creative thinking, which means generating multiple ways to solve a problem or use an object. Daniel Cape's module walks you step by step through how to think in a divergent way.

What topics does the course cover?

It covers deferring judgment, generating wild and crazy ideas, producing lots and lots of ideas, building on the ideas of others without assigning credit, and a Test Your Knowledge section.

How does the course illustrate divergent thinking?

It uses an imaginary group of brainstorming coworkers to show how a safe environment allows ideas to flourish, no matter how odd they may seem.

What skills will I develop?

The course supports skills in Creativity, Creative Problem Solving, Creative Questioning, Creative Thinking, Design Thinking, and Higher-Order Thinking.

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