Divergent Thinking Skill

Overview

Produce unconventional but executable solutions by forcing structured reframing, inversion, and cross-domain synthesis. Use MCP tools deliberately to ground novel ideas in real evidence instead of speculation.

Workflow

1. Absorb context and list explicit constraints.
2. Detect anchoring and default assumptions before proposing solutions.
3. Generate multiple divergent passes using distinct reasoning frames.
4. Use MCP tools to verify assumptions, surface hidden evidence, and challenge weak ideas.
5. Synthesize output into prioritized options with immediate first actions.

Execution Protocol

1. Start with an “Anchoring Map” with three items:

• Dominant narrative.
• Missing information.
• Assumptions treated as facts.

2. Run five divergence passes:

• Inversion: flip assumptions and test what becomes possible.
• Constraint remix: keep goals, change constraints, and use only existing resources.
• Cross-domain transfer: import one model from a distant field and map it to the problem.
• Time shift: solve from future-backward and immediate-forward perspectives.
• Stakeholder asymmetry: identify who benefits from inertia and how to re-route incentives.

3. Force option quality gates:

• Each option must include one concrete first action.
• Each option must include one measurable signal within 24-72 hours.
• Each option must include one risk and a stop condition.

4. Rank options by:

• Novelty with feasibility.
• Time-to-signal.
• Leverage per unit effort.

MCP Tooling Rules

Use tools to increase divergence quality, not just to gather more text.

1. Discover context first:

• Use MCP resource discovery tools (list_mcp_resources, list_mcp_resource_templates, read_mcp_resource) when available.
• Use repository search (rg, symbol tools) to avoid assumptions.

2. Challenge assumptions with external signals:

• Use web/documentation tools only when facts are unstable or uncertain.

3. Simulate executable paths:

• Use browser or automation tools for UI/process verification when relevant.

4. Separate evidence from inference:

• Label what is observed, what is inferred, and what is speculative.

Detailed MCP patterns: references/mcp-tooling-patterns.md.

Prompt Generation

Use the helper script to generate a universal divergence prompt:

python3 scripts/build_divergence_prompt.py \
  --problem "Describe the real issue clearly" \
  --goal "Define the target outcome" \
  --constraint "Hard limitation 1" \
  --constraint "Hard limitation 2" \
  --source "chat history" \
  --source "repo files" \
  --tool "mcp resources" \
  --tool "web search"

If no script usage is desired, manually follow the same structure and keep outputs in this format:

1. Hidden Problem Statement
2. Assumptions to Break
3. Five Divergent Options
4. 24-72 Hour Experiments
5. Risk/Stop Conditions
6. Recommended Path + Fallback

Guardrails

1. Avoid purely theatrical prompts that reduce clarity.
2. Avoid fabricated citations, legal claims, or technical capabilities.
3. Keep at least one conservative baseline option for comparison.
4. Prefer “evidence-backed unusual” over “random unusual.”
5. Never output ideas without immediate next actions.

References

1. references/divergence-catalog.md: terminology and reusable divergence methods.
2. references/mcp-tooling-patterns.md: concrete MCP tool mapping for discovery, challenge, and validation.