Method 10 The method of lateral thinking

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Main idea and its purpose

dr. Edward de Bono, the originator of the term Lateral Thinking, dedicated his life to inspiring, encouraging and enabling us to be better and more creative thinkers. He created The Six Thinking Hats method to enable individuals and teams to be more receptive to new ideas and develop them constructively.Edward de Bono proposed four methods of Lateral Thinking: Awareness, Random Stimulation, Alternatives, and Change. De Bono thought we should first develop an understanding of how our minds process information. Challenging established patterns is the first step towards greater innovation.Lateral thinking (lat. Lateralis – side, sideways) is the ability to think outside the box, using as many approaches to a question as possible, which our logical thinking often ignores.

Application guidance: scope of application, for example, when working with a group of a certain age and composition; in individual work, etc.

In most cases, we think vertically: we choose the most promising approach to solving a problem and follow it. We reject paths that can lead to the side, we act by the method of exclusion, we attach labels to objects, people and concepts.
The ability to find connections and interconnections between different situations. Conceptual thinking is related to the ability to think abstractly and holistically (whole, complex approach) and to use an inductive approach in which individual facts are used to draw general conclusions.
Psychologist Edward de Bono uses the term lateral thinking or "thinking outside the box", which means a comprehensive approach to the issue, abstracting from generally accepted views.
A conceptually thinking person uses accumulated professional experience, education, combines it with a creative approach, adds intuition and inductive thinking to find a completely new, unexpected solution.
Thinking techniques:
Alternatives: to use concepts and ideas to generate new ideas. Sometimes we don't see beyond the obvious alternatives available. Sometimes we do not analyze or discuss alternatives at all. One must be chosen to create others.
Focus: When and how to change the focus (goal) of your thinking. How to define your thinking focus (goal) and stick to it. A mindset that focuses on non-core issues. How to develop and use a Creative Hit List.
Challenge: to break the usual limiting way of thinking by realizing that the current way of thinking is not the best of what is possible. It is an election to look at and evaluate the reasons why we use the traditional way of thinking so far and whether there are any alternatives to it.
The principle of randomness: the use of unrelated elements to expand the horizon of thought.
Provocation and Movement: Creating provocative and challenging statements and using them to generate new ideas. Peculiarities of perception and how they influence and limit creativity will be discussed. Provocation methods are designed to avoid restrictions. Movement is a new mental process that we can use as an alternative to making various premature judgments. Through this process, a provocative idea can be turned into a practical and real idea.
Results: At the end of the creative thinking session, those ideas that seem valuable enough and practical are written down. Use of ideas: how to develop ideas and turn them into actionable elements useful for a business or a specific situation.

The results of applying the method, for example, increasing the ability to go beyond standard solutions, etc.

Lateral thinking promotes the search for solutions to problems using unique methods; develops a desire to look at things differently.
It is a mindset that complements analytical and critical thinking and is a fast, efficient tool used to help individuals, teams and companies solve complex problems and create new products, processes and services.
Conceptual thinking is developed by a person's openness to new experiences and the desire to explore, to see the world differently. A hallmark of conceptual leaders is support and encouragement for unfamiliar ideas.

Instructions for combining creativity methods

1. Determine the goal
Determine why you want to use creative methods in your work and for whom, that is, what is the purpose, goals, meanings, audience, for whom it is happening.
2. Read
Read the description of the methods and recommendations for their use.
3. Choose
Choose those that best suit your purpose and tasks. When choosing methods, pay attention to the fact that they can be conditionally divided into several groups:● procedural, those that help answer the question HOW TO DO IT? How to optimize the process? How to do the process differently?● horizontal, those that answer the question WHO? WITH WHO? FOR WHOM? This is about the distribution of responsibility, and about clarifying the interests, association or for whom we are doing it.● vertical, those related to WHY? WHAT IS A PURPOSE? WHAT IS THE MAIN? It is about clarifying the hierarchy in the structure, the essence of the problem and its solution, what it consists of and what one wants to achieve.
4. Make it specific
Add the missing aspect to the vector. Depending on the task, one of the vectors will be the main one, and the other 2 will be auxiliary.● For example, you need to start the learning process in a different, new way: you choose the most suitable methods for your task and audience, and add methods for vertical and horizontal questions. This will add specificity towards the goal of this process and the distribution of tasks for everyone in the process, will help determine who and what it will be useful for. This creates a habit of thinking in different directions and structuring the process.● For example, the "Blooming Lotus" method allows you to determine the vertical vector, disassemble the problem into components, detail it by seeing the entire system of the problem at the same time, show the connections between different elements and find a solution for each element separately. If we add a horizontal and procedural layer of questions from the SCAMPER method, adding and concentrating on what is still missing, what can be added, what aspect has not yet been revealed, then we will get an even more complete picture and a solution that will cover the maximum fields of the same problem.

5. Сombine methods
Find and add polar aspects. You can combine methods that are more structural with playful ones based on the principle of combining polarities. This can make the process emotional but also structured at the same time. Yes, you can first choose the method that, in your opinion, is most suitable for your problem and task, then immediately determine the one that you would rather not use, which highlights the opposite sides. Moreover, your determined polarity can be conditional, that is, you yourself can determine what is polar in your case, what is the opposite. ● For example, if in one method there is a lot about the connections between elements, their detailed description, diving into the essence of details, then choosing a method that will consider the system of the problem from above, the whole whole, the system as a separate element in the environment around it, this will add scaling in finding a solution.
6. Application time
Different methods require different periods of time when applied. When combining methods, it is better to take this into account by adding a simpler and time-limited method to a method that is time-consuming and more difficult to use.
7. Calibrate the original purpose
During the whole process, calibrate from time to time with the original purpose, goals, meaning for what it all happens and for whom, because in the exciting creative space it can be easy to lose the axis on which the whole process should rest.
8. Experiment
Having created a combination of methods, it is important to experiment and be ready for changes and adaptation of the newly created to the needs, goals and tasks even more, because during the approbation we can just see the fact that was not taken into account. Here we can go back to points 4 and 5, adding aspects that are missing.● Note: try to feel the process, be present in it as much as possible, and allow imperfection and something spontaneous to arise, because the marker of novelty is your surprise, expansion of space and emergence of unexpected details, solutions, ideas.

Instructions for combining creativity methods

1. Determine the goal
Determine why you want to use creative methods in your work and for whom, that is, what is the purpose, goals, meanings, audience, for whom it is happening.
2. Read
Read the description of the methods and recommendations for their use.

5. Сombine methods
Find and add polar aspects. You can combine methods that are more structural with playful ones based on the principle of combining polarities. This can make the process emotional but also structured at the same time. Yes, you can first choose the method that, in your opinion, is most suitable for your problem and task, then immediately determine the one that you would rather not use, which highlights the opposite sides. Moreover, your determined polarity can be conditional, that is, you yourself can determine what is polar in your case, what is the opposite. ● For example, if in one method there is a lot about the connections between elements, their detailed description, diving into the essence of details, then choosing a method that will consider the system of the problem from above, the whole whole, the system as a separate element in the environment around it, this will add scaling in finding a solution.
6. Application time
Different methods require different periods of time when applied. When combining methods, it is better to take this into account by adding a simpler and time-limited method to a method that is time-consuming and more difficult to use.

3. Choose
Choose those that best suit your purpose and tasks. When choosing methods, pay attention to the fact that they can be conditionally divided into several groups:● procedural, those that help answer the question HOW TO DO IT? How to optimize the process? How to do the process differently?● horizontal, those that answer the question WHO? WITH WHO? FOR WHOM? This is about the distribution of responsibility, and about clarifying the interests, association or for whom we are doing it.● vertical, those related to WHY? WHAT IS A PURPOSE? WHAT IS THE MAIN? It is about clarifying the hierarchy in the structure, the essence of the problem and its solution, what it consists of and what one wants to achieve.
4. Make it specific
Add the missing aspect to the vector. Depending on the task, one of the vectors will be the main one, and the other 2 will be auxiliary.● For example, you need to start the learning process in a different, new way: you choose the most suitable methods for your task and audience, and add methods for vertical and horizontal questions. This will add specificity towards the goal of this process and the distribution of tasks for everyone in the process, will help determine who and what it will be useful for. This creates a habit of thinking in different directions and structuring the process.● For example, the "Blooming Lotus" method allows you to determine the vertical vector, disassemble the problem into components, detail it by seeing the entire system of the problem at the same time, show the connections between different elements and find a solution for each element separately. If we add a horizontal and procedural layer of questions from the SCAMPER method, adding and concentrating on what is still missing, what can be added, what aspect has not yet been revealed, then we will get an even more complete picture and a solution that will cover the maximum fields of the same problem.

7. Calibrate the original purpose
During the whole process, calibrate from time to time with the original purpose, goals, meaning for what it all happens and for whom, because in the exciting creative space it can be easy to lose the axis on which the whole process should rest.
8. Experiment
Having created a combination of methods, it is important to experiment and be ready for changes and adaptation of the newly created to the needs, goals and tasks even more, because during the approbation we can just see the fact that was not taken into account. Here we can go back to points 4 and 5, adding aspects that are missing.● Note: try to feel the process, be present in it as much as possible, and allow imperfection and something spontaneous to arise, because the marker of novelty is your surprise, expansion of space and emergence of unexpected details, solutions, ideas.