Lateral
Thinking

A way of approaching problems. It deliberately forgoes obvious approaches in favor of oblique or unexpected ones. This technique enables you to view the problem in a new and unusual light.

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When would you use Lateral Thinking?

Lateral Thinking is useful when you have exhausted most of the familiar and logical solutions to your problem. When a team needs an unexpected and/or disruptive idea, Lateral Thinking is most useful.

Here’s where Lateral Thinking can be a difference maker:

You’ve tried all of the traditional ways of brainstorming and your ideas are flat and familiar
You need to product a wild idea that hasn’t been tried before
Your team is stuck and needs help coming up with some non-traditional ways of working

How does Lateral Thinking work?

1
Review the HMW challenge question
2
List the basic truths
3
Ask provocative “What if…” questions
4
Select a provocative question
5
Answer the provocative question with an idea that makes it possible

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Deliberate Innovation Lateral Thinking Tool Guide

Top Lateral Thinking Tips

Basic Truths are Conventional Wisdom - If it sounds like a cliché that you often hear... perfect!
Quantity over Quality - Go for volume for basic truths and provocative questions!
Relevant to the Challenge - Make sure that you select basic truths for which disruption would address the challenge at hand
Use Metaphors - Leverage the power of analogies and metaphors to find meaningful related worlds
Focus on the Principles - Make sure to extract the WHY of the related world before applying

More Lateral Thinking Tips & Stories

Storytelling is at the heart of our teaching and is essential for understanding new concepts. Here are some short stories and tips to continue to bring this tool to life.

Additional Ideate Articles & Resources

A Lateral Thinking Exercise: Reinventing America’s Pastime

On May 8, 1984, American baseball made the record books. The Milwaukee Brewers faced the Chicago White Sox in a classic duel that would end 7-6....

A Round Trip to Nowhere

I thought I was the lone ascetic that has ridden a bus to New York City during rush hour just to turn back around at the Port Authority so I could continue...