Diverge/Converge

What this is

Two sets of prompts designed for different stages of thinking. Divergent prompts help you resist premature closure, generate more options, and explore the edges. Convergent prompts help you evaluate, eliminate, and commit with clarity.

Most teams get stuck in one mode or the other—either endlessly exploring without deciding, or deciding too fast without exploring. This tool makes the shift deliberate.

When to diverge

• •At the start of a problem, before narrowing toward solutions
• •When the first option feels too obvious or safe
• •When the team is converging too fast and shutting down ideas
• •Before committing to a direction you might regret narrowing toward
• •When you sense there's a better option you haven't thought of yet

When to converge

• •After you've generated enough options and need to choose
• •When exploration is becoming procrastination or indecision
• •When the cost of delaying a decision is higher than the risk of choosing
• •Before executing, to surface final doubts and commit with confidence
• •When you need to cut scope, prioritize, or say no to good ideas

How it works

Choose the mode that matches where you are. If you're exploring, use divergent prompts to resist early closure. If you're deciding, use convergent prompts to evaluate and commit. Don't mix them—trying to diverge and converge simultaneously is how teams get stuck.

Work through the prompts one at a time. Take notes. Some questions will feel more relevant than others—that's expected. Skip what doesn't apply.

Who this is for

Teams making product, design, or strategic decisions. Anyone who needs help shifting between exploration and decision-making. Facilitators who want to signal mode shifts clearly. Solo thinkers who want structured prompts for opening up or closing in.