Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Business Creativity for the 90s by Michael Michalko

Review by David E. Goldberg University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [email protected]

Author & Organization

• Author: Full time creativity consultant for F500 firms.

• Categories: – Linear thinkertoys – Intuitive thinkertoys – Group thinkertoys – Endtoys

Tick-Tock

• Based on work of Prescott Lecky.

• Need for consistency.

• Tick: negative views.

• Tock: refutation of negative view • Related: – Creative is as creative believes.

– Remember successes.

– Write what you wish to be true.

Mind Pumping

• Idea quota • Getting tone: really paying attention.

• Dukes of habit: intentionally changing habits.

• Feed your head: select carefully, outline, take notes.

• Content analysis: attention to world around you.

• Brainbanks: clippings in a bucket.

• Travel junkie • Capturing idea birds.

• Idea log: categories of interest.

Challenges

• Journal of problems • Bug list • List of benefits • Challenge statement – In what ways might I … – Synonyms – Stretch – Decompose, why else, how else?

Linear Thinkertoys

• Reverse assumptions • Slice and dice • Cherry picking: describe challenge in two words, split attributes.

• Think bubbles: mind map of related ideas.

Scamper

• Based on Osborn – Substitute – Combine – Adapt – Modify – Put to other uses – Eliminate or minify – Rearrange

Tug of War

• Write challenge • Describe best case and worst case • List conditions of the situation • Note tug of war

Idea Box

• List challenge • List parameters • List variations • Try different combinations

Idea Grid

• FCB Grid by Richard Vaughn, of advertising firm Foote, Cone, & Belding.

• High-low involvement vs. think & feel.

• Marketing of products.

Toothache Tree

• Fishbone diagram.

• State challenge • Identify major obstacles

Phoenix List

• List of questions at CIA • Steps: – Write your challenge – Ask Phoenix questions – Record answers

What is Your Business?

• Steps: – Ask what is our business?

– Define products/services, markets, functions, technologies.

– Under each, write keywords – Mix and match to explore new ideas.

Future Fruit

• Steps: – Identify a problem.

– State a decision to be made – Identify the forces that impact on decision – Build scenarios based on principal forces – Develop scenarios into narratives – Search for business opportunities in each

Brutethink

• Random stimulation + forced connection • Steps: – Bring in a random word (truly random) – Simple and familiar words the best.

– Think of variety of things related to the word – Make forced connection to challenge

Hall of Fame

• Inspiration from and forced connection to famous words: • Steps: – Make list of people you admire – Choose an advisor and pick a quotation – Ponder the quotation – Choose thought or combo of thought that holds promise – Allow 5-10 minutes to generate ideas

Circle of Opportunity

• Perception changes over time.

• Steps: – State challenge – Draw circle numbered 1 to 12 like clock – Select 12 attributes specific to challenge – Throw one die to pick first attribute – Throw two dice to pick second attribute – Consider them singly and together – Write down associations as they occur

Ideatoons

• Left-right shift and bridge • Steps: – Divide challenges into attributes – Describe each attribute by drawing abstract symbol on separate card (label on back) – Look for ideas to link to your challenge – Add ideatoons as necessary

Clevor Trevor

• Bust blocks of expertise • Steps: – Talk to someone outside your field – Seek idea people – Draw out creativity in strangers you meet – Listen

Chilling Out

• Alpha waves promoted by – Quiet environment – Specific technique – Passive attitude – Comfortable position • Techniques: body relaxation, meditation, Truman’s foxhole

Blue Roses

• Managers use intuition (Isenberg): – Sense problems – Perform well-learned patterns – Synthesis of pattern – Gutcheck rational answer – Bypass rational answer with quick solution • Intuition must be developed and incorporated with reason.

Three Bs

• Great discoveries made in bus, bed, or bath.

• Need to encourage incubation.

• Steps: – Identify challenge.

– Prepare: collect data – Instruct brain to solve – Incubate: let go – Eureka

Rattlesnakes and Roses

• Analogical reasoning: personal, direct, symbolic, fantasy.

• Steps: – State challenge – Choose keyword in challenge – Choose parallel or distant field – List images of parallel field, choose rich ones.

– Look for similarities and connections between two components of the analogy

Stone Soup

• Radical “What if” leads to radical solutions • Steps: – Stipulate challenge – List as many “what if” challenges as possible.

– Answer questions posed by challenges

Color Bath

• Steps: – Relaxation – Select basic color – Imagine color as small ball of light – Affirm the color • Variations – Talking to an object (money)

Dreamscape

• Use dreams actively to solve problems.

• Steps: – Formulate question about challenge – Wake up early to record dream – Record dream in dream journal – How were people, places, and events related to query? What is answer from dream?

Da Vinci’s Technique

• Use drawing and thinking to solve problems.

• Steps: – Review challenge – Relax – Choose format – Draw without conscious direction – Examine drawing – Write down first word that comes to mind – Combine words to form paragraph & relate to challenge

Dali’s Technique

• Hypnogogic imagery • Steps: – Think about challenge – Relax – Quiet mind – Quiet eyes – Record experiences immediately – Look for associations

Not Kansas

• Steps – Relax – Ask unconscious for answer – Take guided imagery tour – Accept whatever messages occur

Rice Storm

• Steps (for problem understand or solution): – Leader expresses area of concern – Each person writes facts (one per card) on cards related to concern – Redistribute cards – Leader picks and reads one card.

– Others select related facts – Give grouping a name – Continue until all words in name sets.