lateral thinking

concerned with possibilities, what might be; tries to be different to normal, deduction based conclusions

Techniques

Use a creative pause; meaning simply stop for some time trying to come up with something new.

Change the focus to a different aspect of the problem. You can choose a purposed focus "make room cleaner", but be careful how it is phrased as it probably contains prejudgments. Alternatively you can choose a general area type focus "improve my room", and then only pursue ideas that go into the defined boundaries.

You can create a creative challenge, by asking why something is done that way. Once you have found some answers, you can create a creative challenge by either blocking ("the maschine no longer exists"), escaping ("we do not need the result anymore at all") or dropping ("we can satify the need differently")

Look for alternatives, even when there is none needed at the moment. Create alternatives by fixing purpose, resemblance (lookalikes), group (type of thing) or concept ("reward for work").

Tackle a bigger concept than the one in question at the moment; by asking "how does it help" (homeoffice -> reduce traffic). Go into the other direction by asking "how can we implement this" (reduce traffic -> different work schedules).

Abstract a concrete process/product into its concepts (like fast food -> cheap, standardized, fast).
You may encounter concepts that are purpose based (like umbrella -> protection from the rain), mechanism based (like umbrella -> roof) and value based (like umbrella -> convenient). Then improve on these concepts, potentially strengthen them, implement or combine them differently.

Provoke with proposing unusual/absurd solutions to enable unusual perspectives.

Lateral thinking book, at P151

  • PMI: Scan plus points, then minus points, then interesting points

where to apply in EnterpriseTM:

  • get more improvement propositions at every level
  • enable better fitting problem descriptions as both broad & narrow is looked at
  • develop new opportunities from already existing resources
  • devise strategies which fit multiple possible futures
  • get employees more interested (hence motivated) into their work