Transcript MPIA for Creative problem Solving

Using Lateral Thinking for
Searching Widely in Projects
(C) Tudor Rickards & Susan Moger
(1999-2007)
What is Lateral Thinking
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It is a process which helps an individual (or
individuals in a group) to break out of
predictable (‘vertical’) thinking and discover
unexpected ideas through a ‘lateral’ leap in
thinking pattern. The term has been widely
popularised by Edward de Bono
When to use Lateral Thinking
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Any time you are trying to find new ideas
In a team, when you are brainstorming
When you are ‘stuck’ and don’t see what you
should do next
When you are writing a project report and you
want to be more imaginative
How Lateral Thinking Works
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Lateral Thinking works by shifting mental
processing into relatively rare pathways.
There are various tried and tested ways of
doing this
These can be called Lateral Thinking
techniques
We suggest they are ‘Invitations’ to think
differently
Three Powerful Lateral Thinking
‘Invitations’
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‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful’
Reversing conventional thinking
Adding an unexpected ‘jolt’ in an ideas
discussion
The ‘Wouldn’t it be Wonderful’
Invitation
Old reality
New reality
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if ..
Eg: Roads could renew their surfaces like skin
The Reversals Invitation
Let’s turn convention
upside down for a moment..
Eg: We must protect our
best ideas
We could give away
our ideas (new business
model in e-marketing)
The Jolt that Triggers Insights (1)
Blocked
Goal
New
Goal
Jolt
The Jolt that triggers Insights (2)
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To introduce a ‘jolt’ you can ‘throw a
deliberate irrelevance’ into a discussion.
Any rich source of images or words can
suggest ‘jolts’ as long as they are not obviously
connected with the context of the discussion.
An in-flight magazine; a book opened at
random for a word ..; etc, etc.
(Can you see how to introduce the other two
invitations as ways of ‘jolting’ thinking)?