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
Author & Organization
• Author: Full time creativity consultant for
F500 firms.
• Categories:
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Linear thinkertoys
Intuitive thinkertoys
Group thinkertoys
Endtoys
Tick-Tock
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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.
Mind Pumping
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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.
Challenges
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Journal of problems
Bug list
List of benefits
Challenge statement
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In what ways might I …
Synonyms
Stretch
Decompose, why else, how else?
Linear Thinkertoys
• Reverse assumptions
• Slice and dice
• Cherry picking: describe challenge in two
words, split attributes.
• Think bubbles: mind map of related ideas.
Scamper
• Based on Osborn
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Substitute
Combine
Adapt
Modify
Put to other uses
Eliminate or minify
Rearrange
Tug of War
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Write challenge
Describe best case and worst case
List conditions of the situation
Note tug of war
Idea Box
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List challenge
List parameters
List variations
Try different combinations
Idea Grid
• FCB Grid by Richard
Vaughn, of advertising
firm Foote, Cone, &
Belding.
• High-low involvement
vs. think & feel.
• Marketing of products.
Toothache Tree
• Fishbone diagram.
• State challenge
• Identify major
obstacles
Phoenix List
• List of questions at CIA
• Steps:
– Write your challenge
– Ask Phoenix questions
– Record answers
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.
Future Fruit
• Steps:
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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
Brutethink
• Random stimulation + forced connection
• Steps:
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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
Hall of Fame
• Inspiration from and forced connection to famous
words:
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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
Circle of Opportunity
• Perception changes over time.
• Steps:
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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
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
Clevor Trevor
• Bust blocks of expertise
• Steps:
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Talk to someone outside your field
Seek idea people
Draw out creativity in strangers you meet
Listen
Chilling Out
• Alpha waves promoted by
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Quiet environment
Specific technique
Passive attitude
Comfortable position
• Techniques: body relaxation, meditation,
Truman’s foxhole
Blue Roses
• Managers use intuition (Isenberg):
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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.
Three Bs
• Great discoveries made in bus, bed, or bath.
• Need to encourage incubation.
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Identify challenge.
Prepare: collect data
Instruct brain to solve
Incubate: let go
Eureka
Rattlesnakes and Roses
• Analogical reasoning: personal, direct, symbolic,
fantasy.
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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
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
Color Bath
• Steps:
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Relaxation
Select basic color
Imagine color as small ball of light
Affirm the color
• Variations
– Talking to an object (money)
Dreamscape
• Use dreams actively to solve problems.
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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?
Da Vinci’s Technique
• Use drawing and thinking to solve problems.
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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
Dali’s Technique
• Hypnogogic imagery
• Steps:
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Think about challenge
Relax
Quiet mind
Quiet eyes
Record experiences immediately
Look for associations
Not Kansas
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Relax
Ask unconscious for answer
Take guided imagery tour
Accept whatever messages occur
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.