Tools Guide
How to choose the right thinking tool
This is a simple guide for choosing the right thinking tool here on Solugram.com.
Start here: what do you need to do?
- Solve a problem
- Make a decision
- Understand a system
Or look at some prompt questions to point you to the right tool.
Prompt questionsWhen you find yourself in front of a problem, decision or a system, you can ask yourself these prompt questions. They will point you to the right tool for you.
| Question | Recommended tool |
| Am I only thinking of ideal solutions? | Inversion |
| Can I break this problem down? | Issue trees |
| Do I need an innovative solution to a complex problem? | First principles |
| Am I solving the right problem? | Abstraction laddering |
| How do I come up with a creative solution? | Productive Thinking model |
| What kind of decision am I making? | Hard choice model |
| Which option from these is the best one? | Decision matrix |
| What would be the long-term consequences of this decision? | Second-order thinking |
| Am I jumping to conclusions? | Ladder of inference |
| How should I respond to this situation? | Cynefin framework |
| What should I be working on right now? | Eisenhower matrix |
| How does this system work? | Connection circles |
| Why is X happening? | Iceberg model |