Convergence and Divergence in Think Center

Think-center isn't just about having multiple perspectives - it's about knowing when to expand possibilities and when to narrow them down. The dance between divergence and convergence is where breakthrough thinking happens.

The Two Movements

Divergence: Opening the Space

When you need to see what you're missing, explore options, or break out of stuck thinking. This is where multiple perspectives shine.

Example divergent prompt:

"I'm designing a payment API. Weaver, what patterns should I consider? Maker, what are the implementation options? O/G, what user anxieties might arise?"

Convergence: Finding the Path

When you have enough options and need to synthesize, decide, or build. This is where perspectives work together toward a solution.

Example convergent prompt:

"Given Weaver's analysis and Maker's options, Checker, help us choose the approach that balances simplicity with future flexibility."

The Rhythm

Effective thinking alternates between these modes:

1. Initial Divergence: Explore the problem space
   • What are all the angles?
   • What assumptions are we making?
   • What patterns apply?
2. Mid-cycle Convergence: Identify promising directions
   • Which approaches resonate?
   • What constraints matter most?
   • Where do perspectives agree?
3. Deep Divergence: Explore the chosen direction thoroughly
   • What are all the ways this could work?
   • What edge cases exist?
   • What could go wrong?
4. Final Convergence: Commit to action
   • What's the next concrete step?
   • How do we start?
   • What would "done" look like?

Practical Techniques

For Divergence

The Perspective Cascade

"Weaver, explore this problem..."
"Maker, what would you add to Weaver's view?"
"O/G, what are we all missing?"

The What-If Generator

"E/E, give me three radically different approaches"
"For each approach, what if we pushed it to the extreme?"

For Convergence

The Integration Request

"Checker, synthesize what Weaver and Maker have said"
"What's the simplest path that captures the key insights?"

The Decision Crystallizer

"Given everything discussed, what's the one thing we must get right?"
"If we could only do three things, what would they be?"

Common Patterns

The False Convergence

Jumping to solutions before fully exploring the space. If Maker starts building before Weaver has mapped the territory, you might solve the wrong problem brilliantly.

The Endless Divergence

Exploring forever without committing. If you're on your third round of "what else could we consider?" it's time to converge.

The Convergence-Divergence Spiral

The most powerful pattern: each convergence becomes the seed for the next divergence. Solve one layer, reveal the next.

A Real Example

Building a caching strategy:

Divergence 1: "What are all the caching patterns?" (Weaver lists 5)
Convergence 1: "We need write-through for consistency" (team decides)
Divergence 2: "What are all the ways write-through could fail?" (Checker explores)
Convergence 2: "We need circuit breakers and fallbacks" (Maker specifies)
Divergence 3: "How do users experience cache failures?" (O/G investigates)
Convergence 3: "Clear status indicators and graceful degradation" (final design)

The Meta-Pattern

Divergence and convergence aren't opposites - they're dance partners. You can't have good convergence without rich divergence. You can't benefit from divergence without eventual convergence.

The magic happens when you learn to feel which movement the moment needs.