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

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: Variations 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.