The book describes and illustrates each of the 20 methods noting if it is suited to defining a challenge and/or resolving it. As indicated in the following table, every method is based on brain basics.
| Method |
Neuroscience basic(s) applied |
| 1) Ask-Ask-Ask |
The interactive and reflective process of asking and answering questions engages both hemispheres
Stimulates the subconscious mind, after the interaction, to elaborate on the questions and the answers |
| 2) Borrowing Brilliance |
If consciously stimulated, by searching broadly, the human mind is likely to make new connections
Energized by possibilities inherent in new connections, the subconscious mind will energetically generate more connections and potential implications of them |
| 3) Brainstorming |
A diverse group combined with moderate visual stimulation will generate and exchange ideas
Initiates post-process subconscious thinking and its inevitable fruits |
| 4) Fishbone Diagramming |
Highly visual and non-linear features engage the right hemisphere to complement the left
The subconscious mind generates additional “bones” and elements of “bones” if the method is applied in a series of collaborative sessions |
| 5) Medici Effect |
Left and right-brain individuals, who are also different in many other ways, offer widely varying views
Those views, while at time contentious, can produce surprisingly original results |
| 6) Mind Mapping |
Highly visual and non-linear features, stimulated by the open-ended process, engage both hemispheres.
Intense conscious thought engages subconscious minds if done in a series of sessions |
| 7) Ohno Circle |
Capitalizes on vision, the dominant sense
The long period, characteristic of the method, stimulates conscious-subconscious interaction |
| 8) Stream of Consciousness Writing |
The time requirement forces the individual to draw on all cognitive resources
The effort may help to offset a person’s limited thinking attributed his or her negativity bias |
| 9) SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) |
Highly visual and partly emotional aspect engages both hemispheres
Generates subconscious activity if applied in multiple collaborative sessions
Required balance of positives and negatives stimulates thinking |
| 10) Taking a Break |
The focused conscious mind primes the subconscious mind
The relaxed conscious mind gradually learns from the now stimulated and always active subconscious mind |
| 11) What If? |
Frees, at least temporarily, the conscious mind from well-intended left-brain constraints
Explicitly challenges the natural negativity bias
The typically unusual ideas prime the subconscious mind to work and then share the resulting expanded ideas |
| 12) Biomimicry |
The focused conscious mind stimulated by nature begins to see new possibilities
The subconscious mind naturally expands on the initial nature-driven ideas |
| 13) Challenges and Ideas Meetings |
Brain-numbing routine reporting are diminished
Encourages, via explicit high expectations, creative/innovative conscious and subconscious thinking prior to meetings
Plants a desire to resolve challenges and develop ideas in the subconscious minds of now-informed participants |
| 14) Freehand Drawing |
Engages, out of necessity, the right hemisphere to supplement the left hemisphere
Relies heavily on the dominant seeing sense |
| 15) Music |
Leverages the listening sense in that it accesses both hemispheres and the conscious and subconscious minds
Recalls memories which can lead to current and potential applications |
| 16) Process Diagramming |
Highly visual nature enables focused minds to finally see the forest, not just the trees
Enhanced understanding of the system combined with possible subsequent subconscious thought generates improvement ideas |
17) Six Thinking Caps |
Group members concentrate serially and collaboratively on each of six often competing thinking functions
Highly visual nature clarifies understanding of a challenge and stimulates thinking about resolving it |
18) Supportive Culture and Physical Environment |
Increases productive interaction among very diverse individuals
Employs the dominant visual sense
Engages conscious and subconscious minds with the latter believing what it sees and hears about expectations |
19) TRIZ – Theory of Inventive Problem Solving |
Systematically draws on the successful creative/innovative approaches of many others
Contradictions and inventive principles provide a broad and deep source of ideas for consideration by conscious and subconscious minds |
20) Taking Time to Think |
The focused conscious mind plants seeds in the very active subconscious mind
The subconscious mind, which cannot differentiate between what is real and what is imagined, generates ideas in the realm of the latter |
