DIVERGENT THINK

DIVERGENT THINK*

Divergent think is about creative, insightful, mainly unpredictable thinking.

Divergent thinking follows few rules. It does not seek a single correct answer, nor indeed necessarily any answer at all. Starting from a problem, a stuation, or a body of information, it diverges, explores, seeks and examines things form as many viewpoints as possible. It is curious, provocative, controversial, and even ridiculuous (it was the odd idea of an eccentric that put the Plimsoll line an ships, for example). We use it especially to find new ways of doing things and different approaches to a wide variety of concerns. It is unpredictable both in method and results. It is most effective where there is insufficient information for us to use them, or their use is inappropriate for any one of a number of reasons.

The basic objectives you should have (through you should, of course, add some specific ones of your own to the list) are:

· Recognising divergent thinking opportunities; · Trying to put divergent thinking tecniques into practice; · Using methods appropriate to the precise nature of the problem, situation or issue in order to generate novel solutions and responses; · Getting as much practices as possible in using divergent techniques

These techniques are:

1. Producing ideas (any ideas): find as many ways as possible of doing or cooking of something. Reject nothing. However unpromising an idea look at first, it may acquire significance later.

2. Questioning what happens at present: Is it really like this? Does it have to be like this? Is there really a problems? Could we look at things in some other way?

3. Achieving a new perspective: turn things completely round or upside down.

4. Making comparisons: Compare the problems, situations or issues to another. They need not be related for this techniques to work.

5. Allowing ridiculuous ideas: The motor car, aeroplane and submarine were once ridiculous ideas (not to mention going into space)

6. Waiting for inspirations: Doing nothing or allowing a periods of mental ‘incubation’ as a useful creative thinking techniques because once we have stated the problem and defined it the brain will continue to work on it and possible solutions may come to mind at the most unexpected times. Solutions discovered in this way are often revolutionary and yet highly practical.

7. Being ready for sudden and unexpected insights. This involves readiness twenty-four hours a day for the solution to present itself. If it does, we should note it down straightaway Many good ideas thought of at 1 a.m have vanished by 8 a.m.. This method differs from waiting for inspiration in that we actively think about the problem, situations or issues from time to time. When illumination comes, you are ready for it.

8. Repeating the process: Ging over the same ground again often produces an additional idea which turn out to the one that will work. Remember, divergent thinking techniques are the most use in finding new things of doing things, new interpretaions and new outlooks. They are invaluable not only in promoting change and development, but also in indicating precisely where and in which ways change and development can take place.

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• Summarized by Pormadi Simbolon from STEPS FOR SUCCESS, by Gordon Wainraight, Jaico Publishing House: 2004, p.21-31.