Geography of Thought

Richard Nisbett is a psychologist who has studied approaches to problem solving in Western and Eastern cultures. Whether the problem lies in engineering, chemistry, political science, or economics, Westerners are taught to take a series of inputs, analyze them, and then converge upon a single answer. At times we may find that the best - as opposed to the right - answer will have to do or that we may have to choose among equally compelling alternatives. Western group thinking tends to converge toward a single outcome.

Tim Brown, the CEO of IDEO, has come up with the idea of what he calls convergent thinking. Convergent thinking is a practical way of deciding among existing alternatives. Think of a funnel, where the flared opening represents a board set of initial possibilities and the small spout represents the narrowly convergent solutions. This is clearly the most efficient way to fill up a test tube or drive toward a set of fine-grained solutions.

If the convergent phase of problem solving is what drives us toward solutions, the objective of divergent thinking is to multiply options to create choices. These might be different insights into consumer behavior, alternative visions of new product offerings, or choosing among alternative ways of creating interactive experiences. By testing competing ideas against one another, there is an increase likelihood that the outcome will be bolder, more creatively disruptive, and more compelling.

This problem solving process looks like a rhythmic exchange between the divergent and convergent phases, with each subsequent iteration less broad and more detailed than the previous ones. In the divergent phase, new options emerge. In the convergent phase it is just the reverse: now it's time to eliminate options and make choices. It is a balance between scientist Linus Pauling - "To have a good idea, you must first have lots of ideas" and writer William Faulkner - "Killing off your little darlings."