Another important aspect to consider during the course of a problem solving exercise
is the type of thinking that should be applied depending on the problem
solving phase (see table 1). The analysis phase requires a divergent type of thinking:
explore different directions for many (im)possible solutions, accept all ideas
and alternatives, defer judgement or evaluation, then discuss, combine, and improve
ideas, and when exhausted move to a convergent thinking style. With convergent
thinking, you establish categories of alternatives, develop evaluation criteria
and, avoid premature closure and keep your eyes on the objective, list
strengths and weaknesses and select the best alternative or idea (this sums up the
decision making process).