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

1. Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Business Creativity for the 90s by Michael Michalko Review by David E. Goldberg University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign deg@uiuc.edu

2. Author & Organization • Author: Full time creativity consultant for F500 firms. • Categories: • Linear thinkertoys • Intuitive thinkertoys • Group thinkertoys • Endtoys

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

6. Linear Thinkertoys • Reverse assumptions • Slice and dice • Cherry picking: describe challenge in two words, split attributes. • Think bubbles: mind map of related ideas.

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

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

9. Idea Box • List challenge • List parameters • List variations • Try different combinations

10. Idea Grid • FCB Grid by Richard Vaughn, of advertising firm Foote, Cone, & Belding. • High-low involvement vs. think & feel. • Marketing of products.

11. Toothache Tree • Fishbone diagram. • State challenge • Identify major obstacles

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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

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

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

21. 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.

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

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

26. 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?

27. 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

28. Dali’s Technique • Hypnogogic imagery • Steps: • Think about challenge • Relax • Quiet mind • Quiet eyes • Record experiences immediately • Look for associations

29. Not Kansas • Steps • Relax • Ask unconscious for answer • Take guided imagery tour • Accept whatever messages occur

30. 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.