Thinking Frameworks Field Guide
A quick‑hit deck covering key ideas from “Thinking Frameworks: An Exhaustive Field Guide.” Click a question to reveal the answer and sharpen your toolkit.
1. What are the five broad categories of thinking frameworks highlighted in the guide?
- Analytical / Root‑Cause
- Systems & Scientific
- Strategic / Decision
- Creative / Innovation
- Personal Effectiveness
2. What core advantage comes from expanding your ‘thinking framework’ toolbox?
It lets you re‑frame problems, surface fresh insights, and craft smarter solutions faster—avoiding the blind spots of default thinking.
3. Define First‑Principles thinking in one sentence.
Reducing a problem to its basic truths and rebuilding the solution from the ground up.
4. When is First‑Principles thinking especially powerful?
When tackling a seemingly impossible problem or challenging a high‑cost industry assumption.
5. Outline the three key steps of First‑Principles reasoning.
- Identify fundamental facts.
- Challenge every assumption.
- Re‑assemble a solution from those fundamentals.
6. What is the main watch‑out when using First‑Principles thinking?
It can be time‑consuming and may ignore valuable prior knowledge if taken to extremes.
7. Describe the 5 Whys technique.
Ask “Why did this happen?” repeatedly (≈5 times) until the root cause emerges.
8. Name one pitfall of the 5 Whys approach.
Stopping at symptoms or overlooking multiple interacting root causes.
9. State the Pareto (80/20) principle in the context of problem solving.
Roughly 80 % of effects stem from about 20 % of causes, so focus on the vital few.
10. How do you apply Pareto analysis in practice?
List causes, quantify their impact, rank them, and address the small set producing the majority of the effect.
11. Which automaker popularized repeated “why” questioning to raise assembly‑line quality?
Toyota, under Taiichi Ohno’s leadership.
12. Give a concise definition of Systems Thinking.
An approach that analyzes the whole system—parts, relationships, feedback loops—to foresee ripple effects.
13. List three steps for applying Systems Thinking.
• Map elements and relationships.
• Identify feedback loops and delays.
• Spot leverage points for high‑impact interventions.
14. What is a common boundary‑setting challenge in Systems Thinking?
Too narrow misses key factors; too broad becomes unmanageable.
15. Summarize the Hypothetico‑Deductive Method.
Form a hypothesis, deduce predictions, run tests, and refine or reject based on results.
16. How do you guard against confirmation bias in scientific reasoning?
Design tests aimed at disproving the hypothesis, not just confirming it.
17. Expand the acronym OODA.
Observe → Orient → Decide → Act.
18. In what scenarios is the OODA Loop most valuable?
Fast‑changing, high‑stakes situations where rapid adaptation beats perfect analysis.
19. What are the four stages of PDCA?
Plan, Do, Check, Act.
20. Which PDCA stage is most often skipped—and why is that risky?
‘Check’; without verifying results, you may scale a change that doesn’t actually work.
21. What is the purpose of a SWOT analysis?
To surface internal Strengths & Weaknesses and external Opportunities & Threats for strategic planning.
22. Porter’s Five Forces looks at which external pressures?
Competitive rivalry, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, supplier power, and buyer power.
23. List the five stages of Design Thinking.
Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.
24. Why is skipping the Empathize stage in Design Thinking dangerous?
You risk solving the wrong problem because you haven’t understood real user needs.
25. What does the SCAMPER acronym stand for?
Substitute • Combine • Adapt • Modify (or Magnify) • Put to other uses • Eliminate • Reverse
26. Which SCAMPER‑style move helped Netflix topple Blockbuster?
Eliminating late fees and mailing DVDs instead of requiring in‑store returns.
27. Name the four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix.
- Urgent & Important
- Important, Not Urgent
- Urgent, Not Important
- Neither Urgent nor Important
28. According to the Eisenhower Matrix, what should you do with tasks that are Important but Not Urgent?
Schedule them proactively before they become emergencies.
29. Outline the core workflow of Getting Things Done (GTD).
Capture → Clarify next action → Organize into trusted lists/calendar → Review regularly → Execute by context & priority.
30. Why is consistency critical in GTD?
The system only works if you capture and review everything every time—gaps break trust.
31. Define Spaced Repetition in one line.
A memory technique that reviews material at expanding intervals to cement long‑term recall.
32. How are review intervals adjusted in Spaced Repetition?
If you remember well, the next review is spaced farther out; if you forget, the interval shortens and restarts.
33. How do you pick a framework based on problem type?
Fuzzy/complex → analytical or systems lens; clear choice → decision tool; need fresh ideas → creative framework.
34. Describe one way to layer frameworks for deeper problem solving.
Find a root cause with 5 Whys, then generate solutions with Design Thinking.
35. What two practical factors should influence framework selection besides fit?
Time constraints and team buy‑in—simple tools people will use beat perfect tools they won’t.
36. What call‑to‑action closes the guide?
Try at least two new frameworks on real problems in the next week to avoid slipping back into autopilot.