Strategic Considering Is Convergent And Divergent
Can you be both logical and creative in figuring out how to solve a problem? I think so. In fact, I am saying that this is vital to the role of a strategist in a marketing agency.
Strategy can be defined as an interactive and fluid approach between divergent and convergent thinking that contains both critical and creative elements. But what does that mean and how can this change the outcome of a briefing?
Let’s start with some definitions for clarity. Convergent thinking constrains multiple ideas into a single solution. On the other hand, divergent thinking expands outward by generating multiple ideas, often thinking like a hacker and using materials in original ways.
Creativity has often been confused with deviant thinking; and intelligence with convergent thinking. The construct of intelligence is defined as the ability to provide the best (or correct) answer to a well-defined question, such as proof of a sentence.
The construct of creativity, on the other hand, is defined as the ability to innovate and overcome what is already known. In other words, it emphasizes the aspect of innovation. This includes the ability to look at things from an unusual perspective. How do we define creative intelligence when it comes to abstract principles?
Strategic creativity
Creativity is often seen as difficult, but it has been proven that authentic creativity is natural and normal for everyone. An easy way to see this is with children, who are much more likely to think quite broadly and differently. In a NASA study on creativity; When looking at 5-year-olds, 95% of the people tested showed an ingenious level of creativity.
However, this changes with age. Once solutions are found, they are mistaken for facts. “We already know the correct answer to that. So don’t look for a new answer.” Discovery stops and it becomes more important to know the right answer, the answer someone else found. See, when you are 5 years old, you still don’t know any of these correct answers. So creativity comes easily.
When we work in a creative agency and get a client assignment, we need to avoid that – jump straight to the logical, simple “answer” to the problem before we make a discovery. We have to go back when we didn’t know the answer. Or just “play stupid”.
This starts with extensive research. Let’s say we don’t know anything. Let’s ask the big questions and then ask them differently. If we do this, we may get a very different answer. However, this is where convergent thinking comes into play; once we have completed the discovery phase; We distill all of this information into our strategy, goals, and single-minded proposal.
When looking for a needle in a haystack, we need a strategy first if we are to keep the haystack intact.
So strategy requires both thought processes, and creativity arises when these two processes complement each other: divergent thinking to generate many new ideas and convergent thinking to evaluate those ideas and choose one of them to solve a particular problem.
From this point of view, divergent thinking enables the generation of new ideas, while the exploratory activities of convergent thinking enable the transformation of ideas into something new and appropriate.
A strategy for success.
Contribution to Branding Strategy Insider by: Emma Gordon is a planner / strategist at Halo
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