Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn't Designed for You

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Olteţeanu, Ana-Maria; Falomir, Zoe (December 2015). "comRAT-C: A computational compound Remote Associates Test solver based on language data and its comparison to human performance". Pattern Recognition Letters. 67: 81–90. doi: 10.1016/j.patrec.2015.05.015.

What would happen if you chose six people on your team to wear these "hats?" Would they think about a solution in a new way? Would they come up with great, new ideas? There is only one way to find out! But let’s approach this same problem with our “convergent thinking cap.” Disney World? Way out of budget, and most of the guests won’t want to travel that far. The new hotel down the street? That’s closer to the budget and guests can easily travel there. A big outdoor party? This is an option too, but only if the cost for lights, heating, and the tents actually did fit in the budget. Would you need a permit to hold the party outside? Would you have to worry about noise complaints?Isen, Alice M.; Johnson, Mitzi M.; Mertz, Elizabeth; Robinson, Gregory F. (1985). "The influence of positive affect on the unusualness of word associations". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 48 (6): 1413–1426. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.48.6.1413. PMID 4020605. Divergent Mind explores powerful and positive ways to understand our fundamental differences. Its focus on women is much needed and timely. The book de-pathologizes those of us who most profoundly and intensely think and feel the world around us. I found it to be eye-opening and healing.” — Mary Pipher, New York Times bestselling author of Women Rowing North and Reviving Ophelia

In 1985, psychologist Edward de Bono wrote "Six Thinking Hats" about a problem-solving exercise that involved roleplay. He described six different "hats" a person could wear as they brainstormed new ideas: Isen, Alice M.; Daubman, Kimberly A. (1984-12-01). "The influence of affect on categorization". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 47 (6): 1206–1217. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.47.6.1206. ISSN 1939-1315.

If you have a strong team that respects each other's processes, you may want to split your team up by their strengths and allow some to focus on convergent thinking or divergent thinking. Some team members naturally lean toward one or the other. Allowing people to show off their strengths can get your team the best answer in a process that everyone enjoys. Convergent and divergent thinking are relatively new terms in the world of psychology. They were first introduced to the world in 1956 by an American psychologist named J.P. Guilford. These two cognitive approaches, when used appropriately, can be used to solve just about any problem that you face. Divergent Thinking a b c d Vosburg, Suzanne K. (1998-04-01). "The Effects of Positive and Negative Mood on Divergent-Thinking Performance". Creativity Research Journal. 11 (2): 165–172. doi: 10.1207/s15326934crj1102_6. ISSN 1040-0419. Convergent thinking isn’t bad or unproductive. It’s necessary! This process is more analytical and “realistic.” It uses logic to narrow down ideas. This part of the thinking process requires looking for fallacies and potential problems. By narrowing down ideas that would not possibly work, you can find one or two ideas that will work without a hitch. Examples of Convergent and Divergent Thinking

Substitute one element of that idea for another. (What can we change in how we have fun? And in how we work?) The psychologist J.P. Guilford first coined the terms convergent thinking and divergent thinking in 1956. Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. It typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing, "non-linear" manner, such that many ideas are generated in an emergent cognitive fashion. Many possible solutions are explored in a short amount of time, and unexpected connections are drawn. Following divergent thinking, ideas and information are organized and structured using convergent thinking, which follows a particular set of logical steps to arrive at one solution, which in some cases is a "correct" solution. When it comes to women, sensory processing differences are often overlooked, masked, or mistaken for something else entirely. Between a flawed system that focuses on diagnosing younger, male populations, and the fact that girls are conditioned from a young age to blend in and conform to gender expectations, women often don't learn about their neurological differences until they are adults, if at all. As a result, potentially millions live with undiagnosed or misdiagnosed neurodivergences, and the misidentification leads to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and shame. Meanwhile, we all miss out on the gifts their neurodivergent minds have to offer. Knowing the differences between convergent vs. divergent thinking can help you brainstorm. However, this approach may not be the best process for every team. Below are some other ways to brainstorm new ideas and find solutions to your most pressing problems. Storyboarding

Klein, Ariel; Badia, Toni (March 2015). "The Usual and the Unusual: Solving Remote Associates Test Tasks Using Simple Statistical Natural Language Processing Based on Language Use". The Journal of Creative Behavior. 49 (1): 13–37. doi: 10.1002/jocb.57. How do you know which team members are more skilled at convergent vs. divergent thinking? There are a few ways to find out. Have an Open Dialogue

a b c Lieberman, J. Nina (1965-12-01). "Playfulness and Divergent Thinking: An Investigation of their Relationship at the Kindergarten Level". The Journal of Genetic Psychology. 107 (2): 219–224. doi: 10.1080/00221325.1965.10533661. ISSN 0022-1325. PMID 5852592. Give your team a break. This break could be an overnight break - many people have their best creative ideas when they are sleeping, showering, or thinking about other things. Tell your team to write down any more creative ideas that they might have, and bring them to you before the next meeting. SCAMPER offers a great set of prompts for a conversation about solutions. This is a great form of brainstorming for teams that are generally not convergent thinkers.a b c Horne, J. A. (1988). "Sleep Loss and "Divergent Thinking" Ability" (PDF). Sleep. 11 (6): 528–536. doi: 10.1093/sleep/11.6.528. PMID 3238256. Like we said, all of us, regardless of age, can practice and improve our divergent thinking. To do so, we will focus on four areas in particular: Nerenberg also offers us a path forward, describing practical changes in how we communicate, how we design our surroundings, and how we can better support divergent minds. When we allow our wide variety of brain makeups to flourish, we create a better tomorrow for us all. Critical Praise