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Thinker's Keys - Explained

What are the Thinker's Keys?

Written by Jason Gordon

Updated at May 4th, 2022

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Table of Contents

What are the Thinker’s Keys?Why is The Thinker’s Keys Useful?

What are the Thinker’s Keys?

The  Thinker's Keys, proposed by Tony Ryan (1990), seeks to facilitate innovative and creative thinking on any issue or problem through asking and answering a number of questions about the issue (XYZ). 

The following are identified keys.

  • The REVERSE Key - Name 10 things you cannot XYZ.
  • The WHAT IF Key - What if XYZ stopped shining? 
  • The DISADVANTAGES Key - List disadvantages of XYZ, and then brainstorm various ways of correcting or eliminating the disadvantages. 
  • The COMBINATION Key - List attributes of two dissimilar objects, then combine the attributes into a single object. 
  • The BAR Key - Make XYZ bigger, add something to it, replace something on it. 
  • The ALPHABET Key - Compile a list of words on XYZ from A to Z.
  • The VARIATIONS Key - How many ways can you XYZ.
  • The PICTURE Key - Draw a simple diagram and work out how to link it to XYZ. 
  • The PREDICTION Key - Predict what XYZ will be like in 10 years. 
  • The DIFFERENT USES Key - Find 10 uses for XYZ. 
  • The RIDICULOUS Key - Try to justify the statement XYZ ... 
  • The COMMONALITY Key - Find common points between XYZ and ... 
  • The QUESTION Key - Suppose XYZ is the answer, list five questions that give only that answer.
  • The BRAINSTORMING Key - XYZ is a problem that needs to be solved. Brainstorm a list of practical, creative or innovative solutions
  • The INVENTIONS Key - Design a machine for XYZ.
  • The BRICK WALL Key - Make a statement on XYZ which could not generally be questioned or disputed, and then try to "break down the wall" by outlining alternatives of dealing with the situation.
  • The CONSTRUCTION Key - Construct XYZ and list materials. 
  • The FORCED RELATIONSHIPS Key - Do XYZ by A ..., Do XYZ by B ... 
  • The ALTERNATIVE Key - Work out 3 ways to ... without XYZ. 
  1. The INTERPRETATION Key - Give 3 possible or unusual explanations for XYZ. 

Why is The Thinker’s Keys Useful?

The keys stimulates and develops creativity. It can be used as a mechanism to avoid or counteract the negative affects of cognitive biases, such as bounded rationality, groupthink, etc.

thinker’s keys

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