Transcript Lateral thinking - Mullard Space Science Laboratory

Lateral thinking
Lateral Thinking - Theory
The brain is not intended for creative thinking
The brains power is in forming patterns
and sticking to these patterns
SO
To become creative you need to block
normal channels and “cut across patterns
in a self-organizing information system”
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Explaining lateral thinking
• Mind is like mud – grooves are formed where
water/thoughts run. Need to form new avenues
• “Discovery consists of looking at the same
thing as everyone else and thinking something
different” Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, Nobel Prize
Winner
Vertical thinking Vs Lateral thinking
Vertical thinking
1. Take a position
Lateral thinking
1. Take a position
2. Develop arguments
2. Put forward different views which
which are:
are:
• related to 1
• not derived from each other
• derived from 1
• all correct
Area of focus
• all coexisting
Area of focus
Truth
Possibilities, alternatives, what
Logic
“might be”
“What is”
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Lateral thinking - Exercise
VII
Add a single line to turn this into an eight
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Lateral thinking - Exercise
IX
Add a single line to turn
this into a six
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Solutions
1.
IX
2.
SIX
3.
IX6
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Deliberate lateral thinking tools
1.
The six thinking hats
2.
Provocation
3.
Random inputs
4.
Synectics
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The six thinking hats - Process and rationale
Rationale
Process
Cooperative exploration
replaces adversarial
thinking
Meeting of several people
Ego factors are removed
Negativity is “not allowed”
Deliberate “putting on” of
different hats i.e. different
attitudes
Everyone wears each hat
simultaneously
Hats are changed during
meeting
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Six thinking hats
Association
Area of focus
Questions/discussion
topic
Source Edward de Bor
White hat
Red hat
Black hat
White paper:
neutral
carrier of
information
Data and
information
Fire, warmth
Strict judge, intolerant
of wrong doers
Feelings,
intuition
Critical judgement
What info do we
have?
What info is missing?
Where will we get it?
How will we get it?
This is what I feel
My gut feel is that
I don’t like the way
My intuition tells me
The regulations don’t
allow
He doesn’t have the
experience
Those prices won’t be
profitable
We won’t fill capacity
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Six thinking hats continued...
Yellow hat
Green hat
Blue hat
Association
Sunshine
Optimism
Logical, positive
view
Vegetation,
Rich growth
Sky
Overview
Area of focus
Benefits (logically
based)
Feasibility
Creative thinking
New ideas
Additional alternatives
Agenda
Next steps
Process control
Questions/discussion
topic
This would work if we
did X
The benefit would
come from Y
High labour costs
mean a lower
workforce
Are there alternatives?
Could there be another
reason?
What is a creative
solution
Let’s summarize views
Let’s look at priorities
The points to discuss
are...
Source Edward de Bor
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Six thinking hats continued...
Yellow hat
Green hat
Blue hat
Association
Sunshine
Optimism
Logical, positive
view
Vegetation,
Rich growth
Sky
Overview
Area of focus
Benefits (logically
based)
Feasibility
Creative thinking
New ideas
Additional alternatives
Agenda
Next steps
Process control
Questions/discussion
topic
This would work if we
did X
The benefit would
come from Y
High labour costs
mean a lower
workforce
Are there alternatives?
Could there be another
reason?
What is a creative
solution
Let’s summarize views
Let’s look at priorities
The points to discuss
are...
Source Edward de Bor
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Sequence is not fixed, but often it is:
1 White – info
2 Green – ideas
3Yellow – benefits of ideas
4 Black – evaluation
5 Red – feelings
6 Blue - conclusions
Six Thinking hats - Evaluation
“+”
Takes people away from normal
attitudes
“+”
Easy to use
“-”
Participants often feel very awkward
and ill at ease initially
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Provocation
Provocation: an absurdity which takes you
out of your main line of thought
Examples;
Po, you close the letter after you post it
Po, restaurants do not charge for food
Po, police have 6 eyes
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Provocation - Process
1.
Set up a provocation
2.
“Move” forward from the provocation
by e.g.
• Extracting a principle
• Focusing on the difference
• Look for the benefits
3.
Arrive at an original idea
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Provocation - Process
1.Set up a provocation eg bring back the town crier – used for ad company
2.“Move” forward from the provocation
by e.g.
• Extracting a principle – what does the town crier do?
goes to thee people
changes message according to audience
can’t be switched off
• Focusing on the difference
• Look for the benefits
3.Arrive at an original idea – idea was to have adverts on pagers cos they
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can’t be switched off and cd also be tailored to individuals
1.Set up a provocation eg employees should wear stripy shirts if they want
promotion
2 & 3.“Move” forward from the provocation arrive at original idea
by e.g.
• Extracting a principle –be open about career ambitions  frank
feedback for those who want it
•Focusing on the difference – clear to everyone what you want  shd you
only invest training in those who are ambitious?
• Look for the benefits – self-fulfilling ie those who’ve said they want
promotion are more keen therefore put them in tougher jobs
where they can prove themselves and be promoted
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Provocation - sources
Source
Example
Result
1.
Chance/accidents
Po, radio waves can
shoot down planes
Concept of radar
2.
“Escape” from the
normal i.e. cancel,
negate, drop, remove,
deny, all that you take
for granted
Po, restaurants do
not charge for food
Development of
diners card
3.
Exaggeration
Po, police have 6
eyes
Development of
neighborhood
watch
4.
Distortion
Po, you close the
letter after you post it
Concept of
direct mail sent
in private mail
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Provocation - Evaluation
“+”
Good for thinking radical new
thoughts
“-”
Difficult to apply uncomfortable
for many
“-”
Time consuming becoming familiar
with the toolkit
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Random input
Process
Evaluation
Take a problem
Easy to do
Apply a random input
• word
• image
Take the first characteristic that
comes to mind
Develop solution
Works for a group or an
individual
Produces new thinking
Can feel uncomfortable
[NOTE Do not link the random
word to previous ideas]
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The need for creativity
We need it...
…but we lack it
Creativity produces new ideas
in:
• The brain is not naturally
creative
Science
Arts
Business
Leisure
etc, etc, etc...
• Education is concerned with
“right” and “wrong”
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