Ideate—Thinking Without Borders
By Bruce Wade
How Different Minds Create Breakthrough Solutions
Close your eyes and think of preparing a meal for 30 people. What did you see? Menu, shopping lists? The event in full colour with all the people seated around a table. Or maybe a well mapped out flow chart of the whole process? The diversity in how we process any new thought reveals a profound truth: we all think differently, and that’s exactly what makes innovation possible.
Traditional education systems train us to think uniformly, measuring success through standardized tests that favour specific thinking styles. Yet we are all intelligent—it’s not how intelligent we are, but where we are intelligent that counts. Extreme Thinking’s Ideate phase embraces this diversity through structured frameworks that channel different perspectives toward common goals.
The Thunk Sheet methodology provides multiple entry points for creative thought, allowing visual thinkers, verbal processors, analytical minds, and intuitive feelers to contribute meaningfully to the same innovation challenge. It’s like having a dining hall with many entry doors—everyone arrives at the dinner table in their own way.
Consider this: when was the last time your brainstorming session truly captured contributions from your quietest team member? Or leveraged the systematic thinking of your most analytical colleague alongside the creative spark of your most imaginative staff? The Ideate phase ensures no thinking style gets left behind.
Beyond inclusive frameworks, this phase teaches Brain Gym techniques—exercises that develop new neural pathways and enhance creative capacity. Simple activities like using your non-dominant hand or navigating to destinations without turning right can jolt your brain into innovative thinking modes.
Unlock your team’s creative potential. Book Bruce Wade for an interactive Ideate keynote or Thunk Boot Camp that showcases how differently we think and how to harness that diversity for breakthrough concepts. Schedule your next Thunk Session with me.
