No. 165 · Work · General Thinking
Divergent Thinking vs Convergent Thinking
Open up the options, then close them down.
In the Almanac
“Apollo 13’s square filters”, 1970 · “IDEO”, 1999
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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What is Divergent Thinking vs Convergent Thinking?
Divergent thinking means generating lots of possible ideas without judging them. Convergent thinking means evaluating those options and narrowing down to the best one. Trying to do both at once kills good ideas before they can grow.
How do you use Divergent Thinking vs Convergent Thinking?
Separate the phases on purpose. Brainstorm first with a no-criticism rule, then switch to choosing with clear criteria. It works in meetings, money decisions and family plans alike.
When does Divergent Thinking vs Convergent Thinking matter?
Divergent Thinking vs Convergent Thinking is one of the 43 mental models for work, the situations where you ask: How do I get the right things done? Within that, it belongs to “Building skill”, alongside Comparative Advantage, Deliberate Practice and Generalist vs Specialists.
What is an example of Divergent Thinking vs Convergent Thinking?
Two stories show it at work: Apollo 13’s square filters (1970) and IDEO (1999). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Divergent Thinking vs Convergent Thinking?
Lateral Thinking, Analysis Paralysis and Satisficing. Divergent Thinking vs Convergent Thinking itself comes from general thinking.