The Decision Skill That 90% of Leaders Never Learn (But Should Master Today)
Why brilliant teams keep choosing the wrong innovation path—and the thinking skill that fixes it
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You're probably already good at the first half of the process. You know how to generate ideas, explore possibilities, and think creatively about solutions. That's divergent thinking—and most innovation teams have gotten pretty skilled at it.
But there's a second skill that's equally critical, and it's where most of us struggle: convergent thinking.
The gap between these two skills is costing you breakthrough innovations.
The Innovation Decision Reality Check
Here's a stat that stopped me in my tracks: 90% of professionals have never received formal training in convergent thinking, despite facing complex decisions daily.
Think about that. We're excellent at brainstorming and generating options, but we've never systematically learned how to choose between them effectively.
Convergent thinking is what transforms the chaos of ideas into the clarity of innovation. It's not just about finding ideas—it's about discovering the right ideas that become transformative innovations.
What Convergent Thinking Actually Is (And Why It Matters for Innovation)
Convergent thinking is a creative problem solving skill that enables you to solve problems by narrowing down multiple possibilities to find the best possible solution.
Unlike divergent thinking, which involves generating many ideas in a free-flowing, open-ended manner, convergent thinking demands precision, critical analysis, and logical reasoning. It's pivotal in strategic decision making, especially when you need clear answers.
The neuroscience of decision making behind this is fascinating: Recent research shows that convergent thinking primarily engages your brain's left hemisphere—the area known for analytical and logical capabilities. Specifically, areas involved in processing language, memory, and problem-solving tasks show increased activity during convergent thinking exercises.
Your prefrontal cortex manages the convergent thinking process by evaluating potential solutions based on logic and known information. Here's the encouraging part: while this relies on well-established neural pathways, you can enhance its efficiency and effectiveness through targeted training and practice.
The Five Barriers Blocking Your Innovation Decision Making
From years of watching smart teams struggle with strategic decision making, I've seen these barriers consistently derail convergent thinking:
1. Fear of Failure
The fear of making the wrong decision can paralyze you, preventing commitment to a single solution even when you have all the necessary information.
2. Cognitive Overload
When your brain is bombarded with too much information, it leads to decision fatigue and decreased ability to discern the most viable solution.
3. Stress and Emotional Turbulence
These disrupt your brain's logical processing capabilities, impairing convergent thinking when you need it most.
4. Lack of Knowledge or Expertise
Without sufficient knowledge in a given area, it's challenging to analyze and evaluate possible solutions effectively, making it hard to identify the best course of action.
5. Rigid Thinking Patterns
Reluctance to change or challenge existing beliefs can hinder your ability to apply convergent thinking to its full potential.
These aren't character flaws—they're predictable patterns that affect everyone. The good news? Once you recognize them, you can develop strategies to work around them.
The Creative Problem Solving Techniques That Actually Work
This week's episode dives deep into five specific techniques for effective convergent thinking. Each one helps you systematically evaluate options and develop better decision-making skills for business innovation:
SWOT Analysis
A strategic planning tool that helps you identify the best options by evaluating four critical aspects: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This approach encourages thorough examination of potential decisions and is fundamental to evidence-based decision making.
Criteria Ranking
This decision making framework evaluates and compares multiple ideas using a set of predefined criteria. Each option gets scored against the criteria, making it easier to see which choice ranks higher overall.
Brainstorming Followed by Prioritization
While brainstorming is typically associated with divergent thinking, you can pair it with convergent thinking techniques like prioritization or voting. After generating ideas, evaluate each one based on predefined criteria to select the most feasible.
Pros and Cons Lists
A simple yet effective tool for weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each option. This method helps you understand the potential impact of each decision more clearly.
Fishbone Diagram
Also known as an Ishikawa or cause-and-effect diagram, this helps identify the root causes of a problem. Once you understand the underlying causes, it becomes easier to converge on solutions that address core issues rather than just symptoms.
The techniques are powerful, but they won't work consistently without the right foundation. Developing convergent thinking requires both the proper mindset and systematic practice.
Cultivating the Right Mindset:
Openness to Experience: Explore diverse knowledge areas to widen your perspective and enhance solution-finding capabilities
Persistence: Develop resilience to seek solutions even when the answer isn't immediately apparent
Adaptability: Stay flexible in your approaches based on the specific problem you're facing
Beyond mindset, you need deliberate practice to strengthen your convergent thinking abilities. Here are specific exercises that train your brain to focus, evaluate, and choose effectively:
Targeted Practice Exercises:
Daily Decision-Making Practice: Intentionally practice decisions ranging from simple choices to complex project planning, then reflect on the process and outcomes
Case Studies Analysis: Regularly analyze case studies relevant to your field to understand real-world applications of convergent thinking
Logic Puzzles and Strategy Games: Engage with activities that require analyzing information and making strategic decisions
Role-Playing Scenarios: Practice applying theoretical knowledge to practical situations that require problem-solving
Collaborative Problem-Solving: Work on group projects that require exchanging ideas and perspectives to find more effective solutions
Here's What I Want You to Do
Watch this week's YouTube episode where I walk through all these creative problem solving techniques with practical examples you can apply immediately to your innovation decision making process.
► Watch: "Mastering Convergent Thinking Skills" on YouTube
Prefer audio? The full discussion is also available as a podcast episode—perfect for your commute or when you want to absorb the content while multitasking.
🎧 Listen: Audio Podcast Version
Why This Matters for Your Next Innovation Decision
Mastering convergent thinking isn't just an enhancement of your cognitive skills for leaders. By weaving together critical decision-making, focused analysis, and strategic thinking, you develop a powerful approach that leads to efficient and effective innovations.
This blend of creativity and precision prepares you to distill vast oceans of ideas into practical solutions—making it an invaluable skill in today's fast-paced innovation management landscape.
Your next breakthrough isn't waiting for better ideas. It's waiting for better business decisions about which ideas to pursue.
What's your biggest challenge when choosing between multiple good innovation options? Reply and let me know—I read every response and often feature reader questions in future episodes.
