lateral thinking

Description:

Lateral thinking is closely connected to creative thinking. It generates a wealth of ideas by pulling down the barriers defining a particular path.

it is prepared to wander into unknown territory rather than stick to an established route.

The key differences between lateral and logical thinkers are:

Lateral thinkers are not born but made. This approach to thinking can be learned but needs to be practiced regularly.

USES:

1. Purposefully stimulate new ideas which can be developed creatively. Compare this to creative thinking which often relies on inspiration and is not necessarily structured.

2. Solve problems, requiring insight and a re-shaping of existing approaches.

3. Develop and improve designs.

4. Keep an open mind. The lateral thinker is consciously aware that things might not be what they seem.

This does not mean constantly questioning or denying everything: ‘Well, you say it’s raining. But is this what we would define as rain?’

METHOD:

If lateral thinking is about rearranging information and looking at different ways of doing things, then there are several ways in which this can be constructively encouraged:

1. By reversing situations:

For example, students instruct teachers, customers help shop assistants, alimony is fixed before marriage. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous the idea is; you don’t know where it might lead.

2. By removing the dominant feature within an idea :

For example, money might be the dominant obstacle to developing a new product.

Remove the need for money and continue the discussions without allowing money to be mentioned. A way round the problem might emerge once the problem no longer blocks the thought processes.

Tight schedules, pressurized lives, the ‘need it by yesterday’ approach to organizations drive us to think quickly, decide immediately, and then spend double the amount of time undoing the damage.

Ideas, however unlikely, need time to settle, germinate or die quietly.

Lateral thinkers sleep on lumpy mattresses stuffed with unfinished, unconnected, undeveloped and even bizarre thoughts which they refuse to reject until the last possible moment.

Why is a lateral thinker like a burglar?

Sneaking in through a side gate (although he planned to enter via the back of the property) a burglar breaks a window and enters the house with the intention of stealing a camcorder kept in the study.

However, he spots a diamond ring and necklace on the kitchen worktop.

He forgets all about the camcorder and makes off with the jewelery.

The lateral thinker can choose not to approach the problem by the most obvious and planned route (like the burglar) in the hope of stumbling across something which was not being sought in the first place.