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What is lateral thinking? 7 techniques to encourage creative ideas

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What is lateral thinking?

Why is lateral thinking important, how to improve lateral thinking: 7 techniques, benefits of lateral thinking, challenges of lateral thinking, rethink your problem-solving process.

When you feel comfortable in a routine, you might forget to think outside the box. 

Maybe you’ve been communicating with clients the same way for years, or you use the same meeting agenda template for every team. These processes could work, but they could also neglect to make space for innovation and new ideas. 

Adjusting your mindset can help you start a more open problem-solving process and drive innovation. This is what lateral thinking proposes. 

Lateral thinking means brainstorming creatively to solve problems and generate ideas without the limitations of logic-based critical thinking. Giving your teams the tools to get creative and embrace every new thought, no matter how out there it sounds, can help find inefficiencies and push your business into the future. 

Lateral thinking, sometimes called horizontal thinking or divergent thinking, is defined as an approach to problem-solving that strives for creative solutions rather than the most straightforward answer. Through spontaneous, free-flowing brainstorming, lateral thinking disrupts traditional step-by-step thinking patterns to develop as many varied creative ideas as possible. 

Psychologist Edward de Bono developed this concept in his 1967 book, The Use of Lateral Thinking. De Bono argued that the human brain has been trained to think “inside the box” and seek typical, predictable solutions, even if those aren’t the best options . He proposed lateral thinking as a new way to move past our cognitive biases and be more inventive.

Vertical thinking, the opposite of lateral thinking according to de Bono, is reason-based. You gather all available data and move sequentially from one step to the next until you reach a logical conclusion. This is what he says the human brain does naturally.

Lateral thinking instead combines imagination and intuition. You consciously try to generate ideas and scenarios that imagine uncertainties outside the information you already have. It places more importance on the ideas themselves and doesn’t dwell on the outcome until later. 

Despite their differences, vertical and lateral thinking can work together to make ideas the best they can be. Lateral thinking can stimulate more creative logic in vertical thinking, and vertical thinking fine-tunes lateral thinking’s big ideas.

Lateral thinking can increase adaptability and innovation in people who practice it. With new technologies like AI and shifting demands from the labor force, products, and processes can become outdated quickly, and new ways of thinking offer more ways to overcome potential problems.

According to a McKinsey poll of 200 organizations across several industries, 90% of executives believe that how they do business will fundamentally change between 2020 and 2025 . However, the same study found that only 21% of executives are prepared to create and embrace new growth opportunities .

Lateral thinking offers a framework for innovation that supports growth and change. It helps teams imagine the previously unimaginable and set themselves apart from the competition. Teams that can bring new perspectives to challenges will be more likely to stay with the curve and potentially create disruptive innovation that pushes the curve further ahead.

Lateral thinking might seem abstract and hard to implement. But adding steps to your brainstorming process can help you become more conscious of your th ought patterns, identify gaps, and think of creative ideas . Here are a few lateral thinking techniques to broaden your own and your team’s problem-solving skills.

1. Recognize thought patterns

Humans often get stuck in an anchoring bias : making judgments or decisions based on the first piece of information they receive. Vertical thinking encourages this bias because it builds on what you already have. As new data or ideas arrive, you stack them on top of the existing information instead of innovating.

But lateral thinkers are often more aware of their thought patterns, meaning they can better prevent biases and reorganize information.

You likely accept successful processes and services as unchangeable in your day-to-day professional life. If it’s not broken, why fix it? But asking why and how you use those processes, even when things are going well, is a common creative approach in lateral thinking to challenge ideas and break cognitive biases. 

Figuring out why you or your team does something a certain way requires you to deconstruct the process and examine each element. This naturally brings forward new ideas and helps you find barriers you didn’t even know were there. 

3. Consider all the alternatives

The logical outcome of problem-solving is to find the most efficient solution. Lateral thinking encourages you to purposefully set aside the “best” answer and brainstorm alternative approaches, regardless of how lofty they seem. 

Imagine you’re running into issues with an important spreadsheet. You’re constantly adding new information, the system is slowing down, and it’s harder to find things when you need them. You try adding more sheets and reorganizing the data, but that doesn’t quite work.

Lateral thinking could help you think of an entirely new solution, like switching to project management software instead of relying on one spreadsheet.

4. Invite external stimuli

You may know what work environment best suits your critical thinking and concentration skills . While a steady environment may help your focus, it might also put you in a comfort zone that limits your creativity. 

Find new stimuli that encourage lateral thinking, like playing music to concentrate differently, taking breaks in the middle of the day, or soliciting the opinion of a colleague from another department. Not every new method will be successful, but trying is part of innovating.

5. Reframe ideas

During a brainstorming session, you’ll likely come up with good ideas that seem too complicated or hard to implement. Lateral thinking encourages you to take these ideas seriously rather than immediately dismissing them. 

If you or your team think of a big idea, dedicate just a few minutes to discussing it. Examine your restrictions and ask what financial, operational, or time constraints create a barrier to entry. With that information, you can try to reformulate the idea from different perspectives until it becomes more viable.

6. Try random entry

When you feel stuck on a certain thinking pattern, random entry can shake things up and stimulate lateral thinking. Random entry introduces a random word or image to a brainstorming session. Even if it seems unrelated, try associating it with the problem at hand. The process of making those connections can help you come up with out-of-the-box ideas.

Imagine you’re a branding agency working on a rebrand for a coffee shop. The client doesn’t want to use the typical insignia like coffee beans or mugs. To provoke a new idea, you randomly select a word from the dictionary: “spine.” You map out different word associations to “spine” and end up creating a new brand based on the idea of coffee as a backbone. 

7. Mind mapping

Mind maps are a common brainstorming technique that helps teams visualize problems to find more expansive ideas. You begin with a central problem and break it into smaller pieces until you have a larger document with many ideas in one place.

Seeing everything together fosters more creative connections, and studies have shown that mind mapping helps people retain and develop information more effectively. Lateral thinking also has the potential to become disorganized with so many different ideas at play, and mind maps can avoid that problem by keeping everything in one place.

Lateral thinking skills give you the tools to be more creative and solve problems that you previously thought would stay problems. Here are a few more benefits of lateral thinking:

Offers fresh thoughts: Anything-goes brainstorming sessions have the potential to bring wild new ideas to the table. With lateral thinking, sometimes all it takes is a little refining to bring those unthinkable concepts into exciting solutions. 

Challenges assumptions: Lateral thinkers question their thought processes to distance themselves from the biases and linear thinking that limit creativity. Developing self-awareness about your problem-solving unlocks the potential to innovate. 

Builds new ways of thinking: Lateral thinking doesn’t just prompt you to seek new solutions. It teaches you that there are other ways to think through problems. Approaching a problem from a creative mindset can apply to other areas of work that require critical thinking, like negotiating a new salary , finding ways to increase employee engagement , or dealing with difficult people . 

Widens your focus: Breaking a problem into smaller parts and exploring them laterally helps you spot solutions without distraction. Looking at the whole of a problem can make you waste time jumping around from point to point, and focusing heavily on a single aspect at a time lets you dive deeper. 

Presents another way: “This is the way we’ve always done it” doesn’t mean that particular process is the best. Lateral thinking teaches you to challenge that idea and create alternative solutions for everything. The things that work well can work even better if you dissect them and find small ways to improve. 

Successful lateral thinking requires effort and experience. Thinking big can break you out of stale habits, but if your team can’t bring those ideas to a realistic action, you could create bigger problems than you started with. Here are some challenges of lateral thinking:

Indecision: Weaning down great ideas into a single solution may be difficult and time-consuming. Try including sound market research and other data in your process to find the decision with the biggest impact.

Reckless thinking: Lofty ideas are most helpful when you have the resources to back them up. If you don’t properly check with all stakeholders, you may run into problems along the way that bottleneck development or force you to toss it after dedicating precious time and money. 

Too much at once: You may be tempted to tackle too much and burn out your team. Successful change takes time. Roll it out slowly so you have space to review and refine new processes. 

Disruption: A culture of experimentation encourages employees to implement ideas that go outside the box. But without clear communication and realistic limitations, you could risk implementing new concepts that do more harm than good. Lateral thinking still requires analysis and planning. 

Understanding what lateral thinking is and how to use it can be a challenge. But giving your team the tools and freedom to think outside the box and pursue the roads less traveled will pay off in the end.

Lateral thinking leads to more creative collaboration and greater innovation. You could also uncover inefficiencies in your business you never knew were there. 

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Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

Learn what process mapping is and how to create one (+ examples)

The only guide you'll need to create effective cascading goals, the pareto principle: how the 80/20 rule can help you do more with less, curious wanting to learn more is key to career success, how to develop critical thinking skills, critical thinking is the one skillset you can't afford not to master, 10 organizational skills that will put you a step ahead, how to create a work plan (with template), 9 project management (pm) tools that help you get the job done, thinking outside the box: 8 ways to become a creative problem solver, 8 brainstorming techniques to harness the power of teamwork, what is creative thinking and how can i improve, eat the frog meaning: why finish complicated tasks first, how to improve your creative skills and supercharge your resume, how divergent thinking can drive your creativity, 8 creative solutions to your most challenging problems, what’s convergent thinking how to be a better problem-solver, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

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The most undervalued problem-solving tool? Lateral thinking.

Photo by davisco on Unsplash

• Lateral thinking is a way of approaching problems. It deliberately forgoes obvious approaches in favor of oblique or unexpected ones.
• Deliberately ignoring perfectly good but straightforward solutions enables us to find hidden innovations we would otherwise miss.
• Edward de Bono, who developed the concept of lateral thinking, lays out 4 specific lateral thinking techniques: awareness, random stimulation, alternatives, and alteration.

Here’s a puzzle: A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a glass of water. The bartender instead pulls out a gun, cocks it, and points it at the man. The man thanks the bartender and walks out. Why did the man thank the bartender?

There’s no way to arrive at the answer (which appears at the end* of this article) without asking questions, testing the different elements of the story to see what missing information hasn’t been provided. It’s an example of a lateral thinking puzzle, a type of puzzle that requires creative, and sometimes oblique, thinking to find the answer.

In essence, lateral thinking is a method of approaching a problem by deliberately forgoing obvious methods of reasoning. It requires one to consider a given issue from unlikely angles, uncovering innovative solutions as a result.

Traditional thinking is vertical, moving step-by-step to a logical conclusion based off of the available data. Lateral thinking, however, is horizontal, putting the emphasis on generating many ideas while de-emphasizing the details of how those ideas could be implemented. Both vertical and lateral thinking are complementary: Without lateral thinking, vertical thinking would be too narrow-minded; without vertical thinking, lateral thinking would produce many possible solutions but no plans to implement them.

Despite their complementary nature, our society really values and focuses on improving vertical thinking. We believe that adequate training on specific techniques and systems will produce a talented engineer, lawyer, or doctor. But when it comes to professions that rely on creative, generative, lateral skills, we tend to assume that only those born with innate talent can excel in them. Even when it comes to the more vertically minded professions like engineering, creativity is seen as a desirable bonus that great engineers are born with.

Two stages of thinking

Psychologist Edward de Bono , who developed the concept of lateral thinking, argued that the brain thinks in two stages: The first is a perceiving stage, where the brain chooses to frame its environment in a certain way, identifying a particular pattern. The second stage uses that pattern, that particular way of looking at the environment, and builds upon it to reach a conclusion. No matter how effective we are at the vertical thinking of the second stage, better vertical thinking can never correct errors that have arisen in the first stage. In order to more accurately perceive patterns in our environment, we have to develop our lateral thinking skills.

In the video below, author David Epstein illustrates this principal through the case of Japanese repairman Gunpei Yokoi. Yokoi wasn’t a particularly gifted engineer, but he perceived his environment in a way that his more talented and specialized peers were not able to. Because they had specialized so much, these more traditionally talented engineers could only frame their environment in terms of the specific technologies they specialized in. Yokoi, on the other hand, saw how various older — and therefore overlooked — pieces of technology could work together. The result was the Nintendo Game Boy.

Lateral thinking: The reason you’ve heard of Nintendo and Marvel

Learning to think laterally is, almost by definition, counterintuitive. Fortunately, de Bono developed some practical techniques for developing this overlooked capability. In his paper, “ Information Processing and New Ideas — Lateral and Vertical Thinking ,” de Bono described four such techniques. Here they are:

• Awareness: Being aware of the way the brain processes information is the first step to improving the lateral thinking process. It’s important to recognize the brain’s tendency to rely on established patterns of thinking before starting to work on a new problem.
• Random stimulation: Often when we’re trying to think about some issue, we shut out all outside stimuli so we can focus. However, allowing unplanned, outside stimuli can disrupt our reliance on imperfect frameworks. Paying attention to randomness can propel our thinking to new insights.
• Alternatives: de Bono argued that even if there is an apparently suitable solution to a problem, it can be useful to set it aside and deliberately consider alternative approaches, regardless of how ridiculous they might seem. Doing so will help you to consider a problem from all possible angles.
• Alteration: This technique consists of the deliberate alteration of available options, like doing the opposite of an implied direction or reversing any relationship between elements of the problem. This can include denying elements that are taken for granted, breaking large patterns down into tiny fragments, or translating a relationship to an analogy and then translating it back again just to see what changed. Arbitrarily altering elements of the problem space can produce novel tools to build a solution with.

*The man has the hiccups and was hoping to cure it with a glass of water. Seeing this, the bartender decided to scare the man to cure his hiccups. Realizing he no longer had the hiccups, the man thanked the bartender and left.

This article was originally published in October 2019. It was updated in October 2022.

Lateral Thinking Exercises: Enhance Creativity and Problem Solving Skills

Lateral thinking exercises are designed to challenge conventional patterns of thought and inspire creative problem-solving. These exercises encourage individuals to consider novel perspectives and explore unconventional solutions to seemingly complex problems. By engaging in lateral thinking exercises, one can tap into the power of thinking outside the box and develop the ability to approach challenges with a fresh, innovative mindset.

Key Takeaways

Understanding lateral thinking.

Lateral thinking, a term developed by Edward de Bono in 1973, is an approach to problem-solving that aims to generate creative solutions instead of the most straightforward ones. It is sometimes referred to as horizontal thinking or divergent thinking, in contrast to vertical thinking, which follows a more linear and logical path. The key to lateral thinking is exploring alternative perspectives, embracing change, and often causing disruption to traditional ways of thinking.

An essential aspect of lateral thinking is its flexibility and adaptability, enabling individuals to tackle problems from unique or unexpected points of view. It encourages the generation of multiple alternatives and innovative solutions, allowing for a better understanding of complex situations. Practitioners of lateral thinking understand that the most obvious solution may not always be the best one, and they strive to examine all the possibilities.

The application of lateral thinking can bring significant changes and disruption to traditional methods and beliefs. By identifying and exploring alternatives, lateral thinkers can uncover novel ways to address challenges or capitalize on opportunities, potentially transforming industries, organizations, or beliefs.

Using lateral thinking exercises, such as the famous “one egg left in the carton” puzzle, can help individuals sharpen their creative skills and nurture an innovative mindset. The ability to think laterally can be invaluable in various personal and professional contexts, enabling people to solve problems effectively, adapt to changing circumstances, and leverage their ingenuity to make a difference.

The Art and Science of Lateral Thinking

Unlike critical thinking, which relies heavily on logic, analysis, and direct reasoning, lateral thinking adopts a more indirect approach. This allows individuals to explore a wider range of possibilities, encouraging creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. By fostering an open-minded environment, lateral thinking techniques can lead to unique and effective solutions.

In summary, lateral thinking is a versatile and dynamic method that thrives at the intersection of art, creativity, and logic. Its core principles, namely an emphasis on awareness, random stimulation, and the cultivation of a creative and open-minded environment, empower individuals to break away from limiting thought patterns and explore new frontiers in problem-solving. By employing lateral thinking techniques, innovative and often unexpected solutions can be discovered.

Lateral Thinking Techniques

Six thinking hats, mind mapping, brainstorming.

Brainstorming is a well-known lateral thinking technique that encourages the generation of numerous ideas in a short amount of time. Brainstorming sessions typically involve a group of individuals working together to find creative solutions to a given problem or challenge. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts freely, without judgment or criticism, in order to foster an open atmosphere for exploration and innovation. After a brainstorming session, ideas can be evaluated, refined, and prioritized, leading to a more effective problem-solving process.

Lateral Thinking in Problem Solving

Problems come in various shapes and sizes, and conventional problem-solving approaches may not always be effective. Lateral thinking can be especially helpful when confronted with seemingly unsolvable problems or when conventional methods have exhausted their potential.

One way to enhance lateral thinking skills is through engaging in brain teasers and puzzles. These exercises often require individuals to discard their preconceived notions and adopt new ways of contemplating problems. Lateral thinking puzzles are a fun and engaging way to challenge the mind and expand creativity.

Incorporating Lateral Thinking in Various Fields

In advertising.

Lateral thinking in the advertising industry is essential for marketers to develop creative and innovative campaigns capable of capturing the attention of consumers. By challenging the status quo and looking for alternative perspectives, marketers can create memorable ads that differentiate their brand from the competition. This approach enables businesses to adapt to the ever-changing environment, make better use of resources, and achieve a higher return on investment.

In Workplace

In leadership.

Incorporating lateral thinking in leadership practices can have a profound impact on a company’s overall success. Leaders who embrace horizontal thinking often cultivate an open-minded and inclusive culture, empowering team members to take risks, iterate, and learn from failures. This mindset fosters creativity and innovation, ultimately giving the organization a competitive advantage in various industries.

Lateral Thinking and Artificial Intelligence

AI systems have traditionally focused on logical and analytical problem-solving, which can sometimes struggle with finding creative or unconventional solutions. By incorporating lateral thinking techniques into AI algorithms, AI systems can potentially overcome some of these limitations. This approach can enable AI systems to tackle problems that require outside-the-box thinking, adaptability, and a more human-like understanding of complex situations.

Some researchers are working on developing AI systems with lateral thinking capabilities. One approach involves using random stimulation, where AI algorithms are fed random inputs to encourage them to explore unique solution paths. Another technique includes implementing alternative and altered perspectives, allowing AI to challenge its own assumptions and consider a broader range of possibilities.

Ultimately, incorporating lateral thinking into AI has the potential to make AI systems more adaptable, creative, and capable of tackling complex problems. As research in this area progresses, we can expect to see AI systems that not only think more like humans but also potentially surpass human capabilities in terms of problem-solving and innovation.

Benefits of Lateral Thinking

Furthermore, lateral thinking enhances self-awareness and allows individuals to become more attuned to their thought patterns and decision-making processes. This heightened self-awareness leads to better self-management and can improve leadership skills. By understanding and embracing a range of diverse ideas, leaders can make better-informed decisions in the face of uncertainty.

Lateral Thinking Exercises and Examples

Lateral thinking exercises challenge the traditional thought patterns and stimulate the mind to find creative solutions. These exercises, puzzles, and brain teasers rely on unconventional thinking, breaking free from linear, step-by-step logic.

Provocative operation is another lateral thinking technique focused on generating unique ideas. This method introduces absurd statements or wild ideas, which are intentionally illogical or unrealistic. The goal is to find the hidden value in these provocations and derive innovative ideas from them. For example, imagine a car that runs on water instead of gasoline. This notion might inspire ideas for alternative fuel sources.

In conclusion, practicing lateral thinking exercises using techniques such as random objects, challenging assumptions, provocative operation, and backwards planning can be valuable in developing creative solutions to complex problems. By engaging in these exercises, individuals can break free from traditional thought patterns and find innovative ways to approach challenges.

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Definition of Lateral Thinking

Lateral Thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes thinking outside the box and exploring unconventional solutions. It involves breaking away from traditional linear thinking patterns and adopting a more creative and flexible mindset.

Characteristics of Lateral Thinking

• Non-linear: Lateral thinking encourages free-flowing, imaginative, and nonlinear thoughts to discover new possibilities and perspectives.
• Explorative: It promotes exploration of alternative ideas, often taking unexpected paths to find innovative solutions.
• Challenging assumptions: Lateral thinking challenges the assumptions and beliefs that may limit problem-solving by encouraging individuals to question established norms.
• Out-of-the-box: It focuses on generating fresh ideas and unconventional approaches by breaking away from conventional and predictable thinking methods.
• Provocative: Lateral thinking employs provocative techniques, such as random stimuli or provoking questions, to stimulate creativity and trigger new ways of thinking.
• Flexible: This approach encourages flexibility in considering multiple viewpoints and possibilities, enabling adaptation to changing circumstances.
• Iterative: It often involves multiple iterations, refining ideas and building upon previous solutions to evolve towards breakthrough ideas.

Applications of Lateral Thinking

Lateral thinking finds applications across various domains, including:

• Innovation and Creativity: Lateral thinking is invaluable for generating fresh ideas, fostering creativity, and overcoming mental blocks that hinder innovation.
• Complex Problem Solving: It helps in tackling complex problems by approaching them from different angles, exploring unconventional solutions, and breaking down assumptions.
• Design and Product Development: Lateral thinking allows designers and developers to approach product design from unique perspectives, leading to innovative and user-centric solutions.
• Marketing and Advertising: It aids in developing attention-grabbing and effective marketing campaigns by employing inventive and out-of-the-ordinary strategies.
• Business Strategy: Lateral thinking assists in creating strategic plans, identifying new market opportunities, and navigating unforeseen challenges in a dynamic business environment.
• Personal Development: It enhances individual creativity, problem-solving abilities, and adaptability, allowing personal growth and development.

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Lateral Thinking by Edward De Bono explained

Lateral Thinking: this article provides a practical explanation of lateral thinking , developed by Edward the Bono . Next to what it is (definition and meaning), this article also highlights lateral thinking examples and where you can use this method for. After reading, you’ll understand the basics of this useful problem solving method and creativity> tool. It’s easy to use once you get it, and the result can be a true paradigm shift. Enjoy reading

What is lateral thinking? The theory explained

The definition and meaning of lateral thinking.

Lateral thinking is defined by Oxford’s Lexico as solving problems with “an indirect and creative approach, typically through viewing the problem in a new and unusual light.” But it’s not just another buzzword.

The concept of lateral thinking has been around for decades and it has a very specific methodology. This means you can use lateral thinking tools to solve your own or your business’s problems in a new and creative way. It is especially suitable for idea generation.

The thing that distinguishes this problem-solving method from the rest of the bunch is that you’re encouraged to change the way you look at the problem. When you do that, you may find that the “problem” you were trying to solve is not the problem. The problem is actually something else.

How is that possible? Before you start solving a problem step by step, you need to perceive it. You need to form an understanding of the problem, a conceptual framework of what is happening. You build that based on your existing understanding of how things should work and may take some elements of the problem for granted because of that.

If that preconceived notion of the problem is wrong, you can’t solve it. The other thing that prevents you from solving the problem is thinking vertically, or linear thinking .

For instance, if you run an IT company and the product you’re working on fails to perform when the number of visitors increases, simply scaling up the hardware may not solve the problem. You may need to find operational bottlenecks and improve them instead.

Lateral thinking examples

The easiest way to understand lateral thinking is by looking at riddles that require you to find a new way of looking at the problem. Here’s one.

A man rode into town on Monday. He stayed for three nights and then left on Monday. How can that be?

If you start to think of it, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s six nights till the next Monday, not three. A careful reader, however, will spot that the man rode into town, not drove into it. Since the road to town took some time, it’s natural he left on Monday after spending only three nights there.

Now, this riddle is a linguistic one, but it takes a tiny conceptual shift to solve it. We don’t use horses anymore, so most people automatically assume the process of riding into a town is instantaneous. Here’s a more difficult riddle.

A man is wearing all black. He is walking down a street where all street lamps are off. A black car is coming towards him with its lights off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

Since there are so many words denoting blackness in this riddle, at first, most people assume the street was pitch black. But the fact that the street lamps were off may mean it was actually daytime, so there is no way that the driver could have missed the black-clad man.

This is what lateral thinking is in its essence. The process of challenging your own assumptions about the problem you’re facing. Now that you understand how it works, let’s look at a more down-to-earth example.

A hungry customer walks into a restaurant. There are plenty of places to sit, but he wanders for a bit and leaves. Why?

This is no riddle. It’s a problem hundreds of business owners struggle with, and it has no definite answer. Take a minute or two and come up with possible reasons of what might have happened. Here’s our list for the reference:

• The customer just didn’t like the atmosphere.
• The customer expected to find their friends there but didn’t.
• The customer was misled by the sign and thought the place served Italian food, but it didn’t.
• The customer was looking for a power outlet but all the tables with them were taken.
• The customer came over because of the advertised happy hour, didn’t find any information about it on display, and thought he missed it.

While none of these are solutions in and of themselves, these iterations on the initial problem show possible causes of it. You can’t change the outcome in the first two cases, but the last three variants give you an opportunity to improve things.

Where can you use lateral thinking?

The basics of lateral thinking are easy to grasp, but where can use this methodology apart from solving riddles?

The game of Go

If you haven’t heard of Go yet, you read up and try to play it. It’s a strategic Japanese game that can change your perception of strategy in both business and life.

This game is well suited for lateral thinking, especially for beginners. Often, beginners with a Western background start playing this game with a bunch of preconceptions that prove completely wrong.

For instance, you can solve the problem on one end of the gameboard by ignoring it and focusing your efforts on dominating the opponent on the rest of the board. You may not ever become a professional, but the insights and the application of lateral thinking can be eye-opening.

Lean methodology

While lean thinking or lean methodology is rooted in lean manufacturing , you can use this approach in any industry. The core of lean thinking is constantly looking for areas of your business to improve and solving problems by finding structurally new approaches to them. Sounds a lot like lateral thinking.

For instance, you create a value stream map and see that it takes too much time to pass on tasks from one department to the next. The regular approach to this problem is to have a meeting and state how important it is to work across departments.

If you apply lateral thinking, however, you’ll see that the problem is workers don’t want to check their emails and risk losing concentration. Implementing HR software with a digital task whiteboard that every employee can check with in the morning can be the right solution because it doesn’t distract workers.

Customer journey mapping

The last example of lateral thinking is basically a customer journey map . When you create one, you are confronted with user behavior but not much explanation of it. Combine data mining and behavior tracking with lateral thinking to come up with the right interpretation of the problem and its solution.

Innovation is where lateral thinking shines. What is entrepreneurship if not finding new unsolved problems and coming up with creative ways to solve them? Use lateral thinking to challenge your assumptions of the problems people face, and you will find the sweet spot.

You can test your solutions with another De Bono’s methodology, the six thinking hats to make sure it’s going to work.

How to implement lateral thinking

Whatever problem you’re solving, here are two simple steps you have to take to make your thinking and implementation process effective.

Use methodology

Lateral thinking is not just thinking creatively. You have to challenge the framing of the problem. Ask yourself:

• What unknown factors may influence the outcome?
• What can we misinterpret in the formulation of the problem?
• Is this problem a part of a bigger problem?

If you’re stuck with problem-solving, try using the random association method. Pick a random word from the dictionary or a book, and form free associations with that work that may solve the problem.

For instance, if the problem is lack of cross-department cooperation, and the word you find is “equine,” you may remember that the word comes from Latin. Romans were known for creating laws that are still followed across the Western world, so maybe you can work on your company rules.

Track performance

Whatever solution you come up with, don’t forget it’s just an idea, not the perfect solution. An idea that may work or fail.

Now It’s Your Turn

What do you think? Do you recognize the explanation of lateral thinking, developed by psychologist Edward de Bono? Do you use lateral thinking in practice? What other tools for creativity are you familiar with, which also contribute to solving problems?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

More information

• Bun, K. J. (2018). 67 Lateral Thinking Puzzles: Games And Riddles To Kill Time And Build Brain Cells . Independently published.
• De Bono, E . (1992). Serious creativity: using the power of lateral thinking to create new ideas . HarperBusiness.
• De Bono, E. (2015). Serious Creativity: How to Be Creative Under Pressure and Turn Ideas into Action . Random House UK .
• Yasuyuki, M. (1998). Go, an Asian Paradigm for Business Strategy . Kiseido Publishing Company.

How to cite this article: Craig, S. (2020). Lateral Thinking (De Bono) . Retrieved [insert date] from Toolshero: https://www.toolshero.com/problem-solving/lateral-thinking/

Original publication date: 01/13/2020 | Last update: 11/11/2023

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Susan Craig

Susan Craig is an HR manager, personal trainee in management, freelance writer, and active guest contributor for HR-software .

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What Is Lateral Thinking? The Skill We Should All Have

In both work and home life, problem-solving often follows repetitive, formulaic patterns and procedures. Not necessarily the best way to solve a problem by any means—just what we’re used to (or how we’re instructed).

These can be described as linear, non-creative problem-solving strategies. But what would happen if we began employing unfamiliar, unorthodox approaches to resolve the difficult situations we encounter?

Look no further than lateral thinking. 

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into lateral thinking, its history as a concept, and the nuts and bolts of exactly how it’s supposed to work. We’ll then examine how you can study this skill in-depth and detail how you can deploy lateral thinking to your advantage with various techniques.

Use this clickable menu below to zip through to a specific section:

• Edward de Bono

Six Thinking Hats

Random word brainstorming, non-linear directions, lateral thinking tips, oblique strategies, morning pages.

• Closing Thoughts

1. What is lateral thinking?

Lateral thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves looking at a problem or situation from different perspectives and coming up with creative and unconventional solutions. 

It’s a type of thinking that encourages the use of imagination, creativity, and innovation to generate new ideas.

Lateral thinking is often contrasted with vertical thinking, which involves solving problems in a step-by-step, logical manner. 

Lateral thinking, on the other hand, involves breaking away from traditional patterns of thought and exploring new and unexpected connections between ideas.

Edward de Bono 

Like cutting pizza with scissors? Not at all. Rather than zany, “outside the box” strategies, lateral thinking represents something more scientific and methodical. 

The term “lateral thinking” was coined by Edward de Bono in his book The Use of Lateral Thinking, published in 1967. De Bono believed that lateral thinking could be taught and developed and that it could be applied to a wide range of fields, from business and science to art and literature.

According to de Bono, traditional thinking is often based on established patterns and rules, which can be limiting when generating new ideas. Conversely, lateral thinking involves breaking away from these patterns and investigating fresh avenues of thought. 

De Bono emphasized the importance of provocation in lateral thinking, which involves deliberately seeking out ideas that are unlikely or even absurd to stimulate new ways of thinking.

De Bono developed several techniques and tools to help individuals and teams practice lateral thinking. One of these is the “Six Thinking Hats” approach, which involves using different modes of thinking, represented by different colored hats, to explore a problem from different angles. 

The goal of the technique is to help individuals and teams think more thoroughly and systematically about a problem and to avoid getting stuck in one particular mode of thinking.

Here’s how the Six Thinking Hats approach should play out:

• White Hat : The white hat represents the perspective of objective facts and data. When wearing the white hat, individuals focus on gathering and analyzing information related to the problem or situation.
• Red Hat : The red hat represents the perspective of emotions and intuition. When wearing the red hat, individuals focus on how they feel about the problem or situation and explore their emotional reactions and gut instincts.
• Black Hat : The black hat represents the perspective of caution and critical thinking. When wearing the black hat, individuals focus on identifying potential risks and problems, and on identifying ways to mitigate or avoid them.
• Yellow Hat : The yellow hat represents the perspective of optimism and positivity. When wearing the yellow hat, individuals focus on identifying the potential benefits and opportunities associated with the problem or situation.
• Green Hat : The green hat represents the perspective of creativity and innovation. When wearing the green hat, individuals focus on generating new ideas and approaches to the problem or situation.
• Blue Hat : The blue hat represents the perspective of organization and facilitation. When wearing the blue hat, individuals focus on managing the thinking process itself, ensuring that all perspectives are heard and that the discussion remains focused and productive.

To use the Six Thinking Hats approach, individuals or teams may take turns “wearing” each hat and exploring the problem or situation from that particular perspective. 

By doing so, they can gain a more thorough understanding of the problem and generate a wider range of potential solutions. The technique can be used in a variety of settings, from business and organizational contexts to educational and personal settings.

The idea of imaginary hats acting as metaphors for different modes of work (and play) has since seeped into popular culture and the common workplace. This ubiquity is testament to the profound nature of lateral thinking and de Bono’s groundbreaking work.

Another lateral thinking method developed by de Bono is “random word” brainstorming, which involves using a random word as a starting point for generating ideas.

The idea behind the technique is that by starting with a completely unrelated word, you can stimulate your brain to make new connections and associations that you might not have otherwise thought of.

Here’s how the technique works:

• Choose a random word : To start the process, choose a completely random word. This could be a word you find in a dictionary, a word generated by a random word generator, or even a word you hear someone say on the street.
• Associate the word with the problem : Once you have your random word, try to associate it with the problem or challenge you are trying to solve. Look for any connections or associations between the word and the problem.
• Brainstorm ideas : Using the random word as a starting point, brainstorm as many ideas as you can. Try to come up with ideas completely that are unrelated to the problem at hand, but that still somehow connect to the random word.
• Refine your ideas : Once you have a list of ideas, review and refine them. Look for any ideas that are particularly interesting or promising, and think about how you might be able to adapt or develop them to fit the problem you are trying to solve.

The random-word brainstorming technique is just one of many tools and techniques developed by Edward de Bono to promote lateral thinking and creativity.

By using this technique, you can break out of established patterns of thinking and come up with truly original ideas that might not have occurred to you otherwise.

Such brainstorming methods—also referred to as mind mapping, thought showering, or brainwriting—are prime examples of the non-linear thought patterns encouraged by lateral thinking exercises.

As mentioned previously, standard problem-solving takes shape as a linear, step-by-step thought process. This approach can be represented as:

• Complete step X
• Complete step Y
• Complete step Z

This is, of course, essential for solving problems such as doing the laundry or sending off your tax forms. But, as mentioned, if humans as a species never deviated from these linear patterns of thought, our scientific, technological, and cultural advancements would be hindered greatly. 

Lateral thinking represents a willingness to generate a large number of new ideas without worrying if they are good or not. This mass of material can then be sifted through to find the ideas that are the most promising. 

Allowing words or images to flow spontaneously is a technique common in a wide range of practices, from psychotherapy (word association, Rorschach diagrams, talk therapy) to the arts (automatic writing, spontaneous music, free painting), and marketing and technology (brainstorming, design sprints, SCAMPER).

These are all methods for accessing deeper levels of consciousness, and some may even be used in meditation or other contemplative practices. By this token, the origins of lateral thinking can be traced back to the 19th century, when automatic writing was used as a form of divination or spiritual communication. 

2. How to use lateral thinking

So far, what’s not to love? Lateral thinking seems to be a no-brainer for boosting creativity and innovation. The tricky part is, how do you incorporate lateral thinking into your existing workflow, practices, and daily routines? 

Below are some quick tips, followed by a couple of more detailed methods.

• Look for alternative perspectives : Try to see things from different perspectives. If you are facing a problem or challenge, consider how someone from a different background, culture, or profession might approach the issue.
• Use random prompts : Use a random word or image to generate new ideas or associations. For example, you could pick a word from a dictionary at random and try to come up with as many ideas as possible related to that word.
• Ask “What If” questions : Ask yourself “What If” questions to explore different scenarios and possibilities. For example, “What if I were to approach this problem from a completely different angle?” or “What if I were to consider the opposite of what I believe to be true?”
• Challenge assumptions : Be aware of your assumptions and challenge them. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it is the best or only way to do it. Consider alternative approaches and question the status quo.
• Practice combining ideas : Try combining ideas from different domains to come up with new solutions or products. For example, what if you combine a camera with a phone? This is how the smartphone was created.
• Play games that encourage lateral thinking : Many games can help you practice lateral thinking, such as puzzles, riddles, and word games.

By incorporating these strategies into your day-to-day life, you can develop your lateral thinking skills and become more creative and innovative in your approach to problem-solving and decision-making.

Oblique Strategies is a set of cards or prompts created by musician Brian Eno and artist Peter Schmidt in 1975. The cards are intended to help users break out of creative blocks or find new solutions to problems through a series of random or unexpected prompts.

Each card contains a cryptic or enigmatic phrase or instruction, such as “Honor thy error as a hidden intention” or “Repetition is a form of change”. The idea is to draw a card at random and use the phrase or instruction as a jumping-off point for creative thinking or problem-solving.

Eno and Schmidt developed the cards as a way to disrupt habitual thinking patterns and encourage users to approach problems in a more open-minded and exploratory way. The prompts are intentionally ambiguous and open to interpretation, allowing users to bring their experiences and perspectives to the process.

Oblique Strategies has become a popular tool for artists, musicians, writers, and other creative professionals and has been used in a variety of contexts, from brainstorming sessions to individual creative projects. The prompts can be used to generate new ideas, overcome creative blocks, or challenge assumptions and biases.

There are several versions of Oblique Strategies available, including a physical deck of cards, a mobile app, and a website that generates a random prompt with each refresh.

Morning pages is a technique for freewriting that was popularized by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way. The idea is to write three pages of longhand stream-of-consciousness writing every morning as soon as you wake up.

The purpose of morning pages is to clear your mind, gain clarity, and unlock your creativity. By writing without censorship or judgment, you can tap into your subconscious mind and access new ideas and insights.

The rules for morning pages are simple: write whatever comes to mind without worrying about spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Don’t stop to edit or revise; just keep writing until you have filled three pages. Write as quickly as possible without stopping to think or analyze what you are writing.

Morning pages can be a powerful tool for anyone looking to overcome creative blocks, reduce anxiety, or gain clarity and focus in their daily life. By getting your thoughts down on paper first thing in the morning, you can start your day with a clear mind and a sense of purpose.

Many people find that morning pages help them to identify patterns in their thinking and behavior, as well as clarify their goals and priorities. The practice can also be therapeutic, providing a safe space for self-expression and emotional release.

Overall, morning pages is a simple and effective tool for anyone looking to boost their creativity, reduce stress, or gain more clarity and focus in their daily life.

3. Closing thoughts

Stepping away from safe, procedural patterns of thought and execution is crucial to creativity and innovation. 

While Edward de Bono gave lateral thinking its name in 1967, the core technique—altering your state of mind to change one’s perspective—has its roots in various creative, philosophical, and religious customs. 

That said, you don’t need to be a philosopher or an artistic genius in order to give lateral thinking a whirl. If you feel stuck in a creative rut or fixed on rails at work, see if Oblique Strategies or morning pages cause a shift in perspective. 

Or, for the more laterally ambitious among you, why not honor Edward de Bono and organize your very own Six Thinking Hats workshop?

Above all, don’t be afraid to think differently, and don’t be afraid to fail. 

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy these: 

• What Is the Design Thinking Process? The 5 Steps Complete Guide
• Which Tech Career Path Is Right For Me? [2023 Guide]
• How to Apply Design Thinking to Wicked Problems

21 Lateral Thinking Examples (And Definition)

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

The term lateral thinking refers to a problem-solving strategy that utilizes creative and indirect reasoning. We might colloquially call it “thinking outside the box.’

Instead of relying on step-by-step analysis of the problem, the conventional method, lateral thinking often produces solutions that only seem obvious in hindsight.

The term “lateral thinking” was coined by Edward de Bono (1967) in his book The Use of Lateral Thinking .

He illustrates the difference between lateral thinking and conventional logic-based thinking (referred to as vertical thinking) with the following lateral thinking example:

“If you were to take a set of toy blocks and build them upwards, each block resting firmly and squarely on the block below it, you would have an illustration of vertical thinking. With lateral thinking the blocks are scattered around. They may be connected to each other loosely or not at all. But the pattern that may eventually emerge can be as useful as the vertical structure” (p. 11).

Lateral thinking can be applied to any problem and is often seen in professions such as advertising and product design, where creativity is highly valued.

11 Top Lateral Thinking Examples

• Finding Alternatives: Using a car engine to generate electricity in your home during a blackout
• Working Around Problems: Starting a business when you are having trouble getting a job
• Generating Tech Solutions: Using a drone to deliver packages instead of a traditional delivery truck
• Reverse Thinking: Instead of thinking about what you want to achieve, think about what you don’t want to achieve, and find ways to avoid it.
• Seeking New Solutions: Using virtual reality technology for mental health treatment to save time and money
• Seeing Opportunity in Disaster: Using mobile apps for remote learning and education during a lockdown
• Finding a Way: Using crowdfunding to finance small business and startup projects
• Creating New Avenues: Using the sharing economy such as Airbnb and Uber to make use of underutilized resources
• Being Resourceful: Using green roofs and walls for urban agriculture and sustainable building design
• Thinking Outside the Box: Using a magnifying glass to light a fire when you realize you don’t have matches or a lighter (this is the inverse of functional fixedness )
• Divergent Thinking : Using a coconut shell as a bowl because you don’t have any bowls nearby

10 Lateral Thinking Case Studies

1. goal: make more money.

Lateral thinking involves reframing the problem in a way that allows us to see a solution that would not be seen with conventional vertical thinking.

For example, if the problem is that you want to make more money, the logic-based vertical thinking solution leads to a very logical solution: work more.

Working more means more money will be transferred to your possession; problem solved.

Unfortunately, this solution can lead to a person taking multiple jobs and working nearly every waking moment of their existence. Yes, this will generate more money. But at what expense?

Lateral thinking suggests reframing of the problem: save more money. This results in more money being in your pocket, which is the ultimate goal.

However, instead of working three jobs, the lateral solution is to spend less money. Stop buying over-priced coffee and instead purchase a good coffee maker. Instead of buying a new car, buy one second-hand.

2. The Fearless Girl

Lateral thinking can be seen in some of the most clever marketing campaigns in history. Often, the ad is amazingly simple, yet powerful. The simplicity adds to its impact.

One example can be seen in the marketing campaign known as The Fearless Girl by State Street Global Advisors.

Instead of implementing the usual strategy of producing TV ads with a respected spokesperson or having short scenes of testimonials from average citizens that have had great financial success investing in stocks, they took a quite creative approach.

They hired Kristen Visbal to sculpt a bronze figure of a young female child standing boldly, hands on hips, and placed her directly in front of the quite large and intimidating Charging Bull in the financial district of Manhattan in New York City.

The goal was to advertise an index fund which was focused on gender diverse companies that have a high percentage of women in senior leadership. That index fund is represented by the ticker symbol SHE.

3. Measuring Income Inequality

Economic equality is recognized as the source of many ills in the world today. From civil unrest to the dysfunctional family unit, when humans feel as though they do not have economic opportunity, while others live lavishly, many troubles will ensue.

The vertical thinking approach to measuring economic inequality involves a mathematical formula consisting of various economic and population indexes.

In his seminal paper (Atkinson, 1970) states that the “…conventional method of approach is misleading….I hope that these conventional measures will be rejected in favor of direct consideration of the properties that we should like the social welfare function to display” (p. 262)

He then took an unusual approach to measuring the concept by including social welfare issues. In his own words:

“Lateral thinking led to the results on the measurement of risk being applied to the problem of measuring income inequality. In this, and in other areas of economics, lateral thinking has made a significant contribution” (Atkinson, 2011, p. 319).

His use of lateral thinking has had a profound impact in economics, demonstrating that “…economics is primarily a social and moral science” (Wernerová, 2019, p. 1).

4. Challenging Assumptions: The Nine Dots Problem

The nine dots problem is well-known to most readers. Nonetheless, it is offered by de Bono (1970) as an example of how lateral thinking is accomplished by challenging assumptions.

As de Bono explains:

“In challenging assumptions, one challenges the necessity of boundaries and limits and one challenges the validity of individual concepts. As in lateral thinking in general there is no question in attacking the assumptions as wrong…It is simply a matter of trying to restructure patterns. And by definition, assumptions are patterns which usually escape the restructuring process” (p. 49).

The problem goes like this: Nine dots are arranged in three vertical rows of three. The goal is to connect the nine dots using only four straight lines, without raising the pencil from the paper.

The solution is derived by letting go of the common assumption that one cannot extend the line past the outer boundaries of the dots. Although this rule is never stated in the instructions, people have this assumption fixed in their mind.

“If one breaks through this assumption and does go beyond the boundary then the problem is easily solved…” (p. 50).

Read more about challenging assumptions in this article.

5. In the Classroom

In many of his books, de Bono likes to use classroom examples of how teachers can help their students develop lateral thinking. This is a noble cause and one reason that his work has had such an enduring impact in the study of problem-solving , divergent thinking, and creativity.

One exercise he recommends is for teachers to ask students to design a useful product. Some specific suggestions include:

• an apple-picking machine
• a cup that cannot spill
• a device to help cars park

The purpose of this activity is to show that there can be different solutions to the same problem. It is the thinking process that is so much more valuable than the end result.

“Though an idea may seem silly in itself it can still lead to something useful…No one is silly for the sake of being silly no matter how it might appear to other people. There must be a reason why something made sense to the person who drew it at the moment when it was drawn. What it appears to other people is not so important if one is trying to encourage lateral thinking. In any case whatever the reason behind a design and however silly it may be it can still be a most useful stimulus to further ideas” (de Bono, 1970, p. 61).

6. Reconceptualizing the Good Life

Some people in Western cultures start to feel a great deal of stress as a result of constantly striving to have a better life. They believe that having material objects such as a big house with a three-car garage, dining in over-priced restaurants, and wearing expensive jewelry are signs of living the good life.

This is typical vertical thinking that is defined culturally. Possessing expensive material goods equals a better life.

However, lateral thinking would change the definition of “better life.” With lateral thinking, the concept is defined as feeling relaxed, leading a slower pace of life, and spending time on hobbies.

So, the solution is simple, and many people have taken this step. Instead of working harder to purchase more material goods, they sell all they have and move to a country with a much lower cost of living.

Many Americans have done just that. For example, many Californians are selling their houses (known for expensive real estate) and moving to small beach towns in Mexico.

They arrive at the solution they want: to have a better life, but do so by escaping conventional norms through lateral thinking and taking a different path.

7. The Best TV Ad in History

Yes, crowning something as “best in history” is not an exact science. It’s a value judgment that is subjective and open to a lot of debate. However, there is no doubt that at least one of the best TV ads in history is the 1984 ad by Apple .

It was a groundbreaking piece of cinematography for a TV ad, produced by Ridley Scott, the director of Blade Runner.

The reason the ad is considered so astounding is more than just the visual aesthetics, but has a lot more to do with the message. Instead of relying on vertical thinking and boasting about the computing power or the advanced graphics chip, the ad says nothing about those features.

The ad is an exercise in lateral thinking like never before seen in the advertising world. It makes a statement about conformity, bucking the establishment, and avid individualism.

8. The “Why” Technique

The “why” lateral thinking technique by de Bono is designed to create discomfort with the information that has been provided. The process involves the teacher making a statement, followed by the student asking “why.” This exchange is repeated at length; each explanation to be questioned.

“The usual purpose of “why” is to elicit information. One wants to be comforted with some explanation which one can accept and be satisfied with. The lateral use of why is quite opposite. The intention is to create discomfort with any explanation. By refusing to be comforted with an explanation one tries to look at things in a different way and so increases the possibility of restructuring the pattern” (de Bono, 1970, p. 53).

The process is a little more complex if done properly. Rather than simply repeating the word “why,” much like the habit of a child, the serious student will be more focused. The question should be directed to a specific aspect of the previous explanation.

Even if the teacher knows of the true reason, to get the most out of this exercise, they should phrase their answer that allows enough flexibility to continue the probe.

9. Applied to Students

Srikongchan et al. (2021) pointed out that many instructional approaches in the classroom fail to foster creativity in school children.

Students “…are directed to think in the same pattern to understand the contents, working the projects, and generating the solutions. They are not encouraged to think differently or think out of the box” (p. 234).

The researchers implemented a backward instructional design by having students participate in 9 different lateral thinking learning activities.

A total of 60 fifth-grade students in an Information Technology course in Thailand took part in the study, and their degree of creativity was assessed both before and after the lateral thinking activities.

The results indicated that students:

“…significantly improved their creative thinking scores” when comparing before and after scores. “ It can be implied that the learning activities and learning experience of lateral thinking could provide students a meaningful learning process …and help the students developed creative thinking ” (p. 243).

10. The Reverse Thinking Technique

At the center of lateral thinking is the objective to look at a problem from a different perspective. The reversal technique takes similar aim.

The process leads to a way of looking at a situation that is obviously wrong, perhaps even ridiculous. This is done to escape the shackles of conventional vertical thinking.

For instance, the teacher explains that a policeman directs traffic. Then, the students are instructed to engage in reverse thinking, which leads to: the traffic controls the policeman, or, the policeman disorganizes the traffic.

This leads to a consideration of natural traffic flow, or if traffic lights would be superior to a policeman.

It doesn’t matter if the solution generated actually makes sense in the beginning; the point is that the student/problem-solver is moving in the right direction. The purpose is to be provocative and to consider the problem from an alternative point of view.

Lateral Thinking Strengths

1. discovering overlooked ideas.

One of the most valuable strengths of lateral thinking is the consideration of overlooked aspects of a problem.

Because people are so locked-in to vertical thinking, which is logical and rational, they can fail to see all aspects of a situation.

Lateral thinking encourages the examination of all aspects of a matter. Even if those elements seem inconsequential, one never knows how valuable they may be unless they are at least considered.

2. Generating a Different Perspective

Several of the techniques utilized in lateral thinking have the explicit goal of looking at a problem from a different perspective.

This is at the heart of divergent thinking or creativity, or the oft-overused saying “think outside the box.”

“In lateral thinking one is not looking for the right answer but for a different arrangement of information which will provoke a different way of looking at the situation” (de Bono, 1970, p. 71).

Even if that different way of looking seems silly and invaluable, it may actually lead to someone else having a great idea that is the exact solution needed.

3. Constructively Challenge the Status Quo

Challenging the status quo enables the problem-solver to generate useful solutions.

So often people become used to using a product a certain way or going through a procedure in a specific manner. Those routines can become so automatic that they are just accepted as standard operating procedures.

However, the techniques of lateral thinking force people to question those givens and seek alternatives.

By challenging the assumptions of why we do the things we do, we take the first step to creating a better process, which may be more efficient or may actually be a complete overhaul of standard practices.

See More: Status Quo Examples

Lateral Thinking Weaknesses

1. conceptual redundancy.

Lateral thinking has quite a bit in common with divergent thinking, innovation, and creativity.

These concepts all involve looking at situations from a different perspective and generating solutions that are unique and non-conventional.

Since there is so much overlap in these very similar concepts, one has to wonder why is there a need to invent a new term for those that already exist?

If divergent thinking and lateral thinking result in the same unique solution, then why is there a need to have two names for the same horse?

2. Fails to Acknowledge Research

One weakness of lateral thinking is that de Bono often ignores established research on thinking and problem-solving.

There has been a tremendous amount of rigid scientific research on heuristics, divergent thinking, and methods to improve problem-solving.

However, that research is unacknowledged, not even mentioned in de Bono’s many books.

To be accepted as a scientific theory, it is necessary to explain how one’s own postulations fit with other theories, particularly those theories that have earned wide acceptance due to the body of solid science behind them.

3. Reliance on Riddles, Stories, and Testimonials

Lateral thinking has been termed a “ pseudoscience ” (or, more specifically, pseudo-psychology ) by critics. Because of its reliance on riddles, fictional stories, and testimonials as support for the theory’s efficacy, it fails to meet standard criteria for legitimacy.

Although de Bono offers-up narratives as illustrating key concepts in lateral thinking, it is not the kind of evidence that is considered valid in disciplines such as modern psychology.

As Antonio Melechi succinctly concluded :

“Rather than accumulate independent empirical evidence of its efficacy, the lateral thinking movement still opts to festoon itself in anecdotes, hearsay and testimonials.”

Lateral thinking involves approaching problems in ways that result in a novel solution. Instead of taking the usual path of conventional problem-solving methods such as logic, the theory postulates that lateral thinking offers a valuable alternative.

There are several techniques presented by de Bono (1967; 1970) that facilitate lateral thinking and the generation of novel solutions. These techniques involve questioning the assumptions of the problem, challenging the usual explanations by asking “why,” and engaging in reverse thinking.

Lateral thinking can result in discovering previously overlooked aspects of a problem, helping people see the problem from a different perspective, and challenging accepted practices and conceptions.

On the other side of the coin, critics would like to see the theory supported by empirical evidence and a clear explanation of how it differs from theories that have solid scientific support.

Atkinson, A. B. (1970). On the measurement of inequality. Journal of Economic Theory, 2, 244-263.

Atkinson, A. B. (2011). On lateral thinking. The Journal of Economic Inequality, 9(3), 319-328.

de Bono, E. (1967). The use of lateral thinking. Jonathan Cape

de Bono, E. (1977). Lateral Thinking: a textbook of creativity. Penguin Books.

Srikongchan, W., Kaewkuekool, S., & Mejaleurn, S. (2021). Backward instructional design based learning activities to developing students’ creative thinking with lateral thinking technique. International Journal of Instruction , 14 (2), 233-252.

Wernerová, Barbora. (2019). Economic inequality according Atkinson. SHS Web of Conferences, 61. 01034. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20196101034

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How to Solve Impossible Problems: Lateral Thinking

Genesistrainingsolutions

Introduction It might be intimidating and stressful to face insurmountable challenges. However, by applying lateral thinking, a strong problem-solving strategy, you may navigate past problems and create inventive answers. Lateral thinking is a helpful strategy that promotes innovative and unique thought patterns, helping you discover answers that may have appeared hard to locate at first. In this post, we will look at the notion of lateral thinking, its advantages, and how to use it to tackle apparently insurmountable issues.

Lateral Thinking: A Fresh Perspective Lateral thinking is concerned with thinking beyond the box, investigating different options, and testing conventional ideas. Unlike logical or linear thinking, which takes a step-by-step method, lateral thinking pushes you to break out from typical patterns and try new ideas. It entails looking at things from diverse perspectives, taking chances, and evaluating other points of view. Lateral thinking facilitates inventive problem-solving by injecting creativity into problem-solving.

Benefits of Lateral Thinking

• Uncovering Hidden Opportunities: Lateral thinking allows you to identify hidden opportunities that you would have overlooked using traditional thinking approaches. You boost your chances of finding unique solutions by investigating all alternatives.
• Effective Problem Solving: Impossible tasks frequently necessitate novel approaches. Lateral thinking gives you the capacity to approach challenges from different perspectives, allowing you to design inventive solutions that would otherwise go unnoticed.
• Enhanced Creativity: By practicing lateral thinking, you may access your inner creativity and broaden your imagination. It pushes you to think beyond the box, cultivating an open mind to new ideas and possibilities.
• Improved Decision Making: When confronted with complicated challenges, lateral thinking helps you evaluate many views and choices. This results in more informed decision-making and more effective problem-solving.

Applying Lateral Thinking Techniques

• Challenge Assumptions: Break free from preconceived preconceptions and put assumptions to the test. Consider other viewpoints and challenge the existing quo. By challenging conventional wisdom, you open up new possibilities for issue solutions.
• Embrace Creativity: Develop a mentality that values innovative thinking. Take inspiration from different sectors, experiment with new ideas, and push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Adopting a lighthearted attitude might inspire creative ideas.
• Generate Ideas: Participate in brainstorming meetings to develop a variety of ideas. Encourage independent thinking and the pursuit of unorthodox solutions. All ideas should be valued without criticism or judgment.
• Pivot Perspectives: Take a step back and look at the situation from many perspectives. Consider putting yourself in the position of others and how they may approach the challenge. Fresh ideas and new opportunities may arise as a result of altering viewpoints.
• Use Problem-Solving Tools: To encourage lateral thinking, use methods such as mind mapping, analogy thinking, and random word stimulation. These strategies can assist in breaking patterns and sparking fresh thoughts.

Unlocking the Power of Lateral Thinking You may solve apparently difficult obstacles by adding lateral thinking into your problem-solving technique. Remember that lateral thinking enables you to look outside the box and tackle challenges from new angles. Accept inventiveness, challenge preconceptions, and investigate all options. By doing so, you may unleash the power of lateral thinking and come up with novel answers to even the most difficult issues.

Click here for more information on how to solve impossible problems using lateral thinking.

So, the next time you face a seemingly insurmountable situation, don’t give up. Instead, use lateral thinking to release your creative potential and uncover previously undiscovered ideas. Accept the power of lateral thinking and turn the impossible into a possibility.

Learn how to use lateral thinking to overcome seemingly unsolvable tasks. Discover the advantages and strategies of lateral thinking for efficient problem-solving.

#lateralthinking #unconventionalideas #creativethinking #outsidethebox #problemsolving #innovativethinking #breakthethought #thinkdifferently #brainstorming #solutionoriented

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Lateral thinking explained

New solutions to your design challenges may be hiding just beyond the reach of conventional thinking. Teams often tackle problems with step-by-step logic—but it takes more than logical thinking to come up with original ideas. To shake up the status quo, innovative brands use lateral thinking. This type of thinking helps teams explore creative ideas that captivate customers—and boost the bottom line.

Read on to learn more about:

• What lateral thinking is, and how it can change thought processes
• Why lateral thinking skills matter
• 4 ways to apply lateral thinking with pro tips and tools from Figma

What is lateral thinking?

Lateral thinking is a creative approach to problem-solving to unlock breakthrough solutions. Business decision-making often relies on strict logic, or linear argument —but lateral thinking challenges standard thought patterns and fixed mindsets. Teams apply divergent thinking instead, defying accepted biases and assumptions with creative approaches and alternate solutions that wow customers.

Why lateral thinking skills matter

Conventional critical thinking isn’t enough to succeed in today’s crowded marketplace. With lateral thinking, businesses foster new thinking patterns and problem-solving skills to find creative solutions. Key benefits of lateral thinking techniques include:

• Increased innovation. Companies can explore uncharted waters to create game-changing products, services, and processes. Innovative examples of lateral thinking include the Dyson vacuum cleaner (no more vacuum bags), Nintendo Game Boy (games on the go) and Uber rideshare app (real-time ride tracking).
• Enhanced creativity. Lateral thinking builds a culture that questions assumptions and welcomes diverse viewpoints. This encourages teams to think big and share ideas freely.
• Better problem-solving. Lateral thinking helps teams break through mental blocks, approach persistent problems from new starting points, and arrive at novel solutions.
• Greater adaptability. Lateral thinking helps businesses adapt quickly to new trends and challenges—and disrupt the market with fresh approaches.

Lateral thinking vs. vertical thinking

Psychologist Edward de Bono 's The Use of Lateral Thinking proposed this creative way to solve problems in the 1960s. “Lateral thinking is for changing concepts and perceptions instead of trying harder with the same concepts and perceptions,” he said. Lateral thinking values free-wheeling ideation for big, bold ideas instead of tried-and-true concepts (i.e., vertical thinking). With its rigorous top-down logic, vertical thinking can be useful to refine new ideas.

4 ways to exercise lateral thinking

Lateral thinking unlocks hidden potential, paving the way for more engaging user experiences. Here are four ways to put lateral thinking to work for your team:

• Host brainstorming sessions. Creative brainstorms like SCAMPER (substitute, combine, adapt, magnify, put to other use, eliminate, reverse) spark fresh ideas to improve products and services. To encourage blue-sky thinking, use random stimulation (aka random entry brainstorming) to generate a random word as a brainstorming prompt. Pro tip for design teams: use a randomizer to try out random designs.
• Start mind mapping. Visual mind maps capture a central idea and reveal connections to related ideas. Use a mind-mapping template to break through linear thinking and reach creative breakthroughs faster.
• Try six thinking hats . This technique invites participants to examine problems from six distinct perspectives . You might try on the red hat to explore a problem with feelings and gut instinct—then switch to the black hat to assess concepts according to possible risks.
• Lateral-thinking puzzles , brain teasers, and riddles help disrupt typical thought patterns. Teams use them as icebreakers or thought starters to find creative, unexpected solutions that meet user needs.

3 pro tips for lateral thinkers

To make the most of lateral thinking, keep three key tips in mind:

• Lateral thinking is a journey , not a destination. Continuous practice and exploration make creative thinking second nature.
• Look at challenges as opportunities to flex your lateral thinking muscles. The tougher the obstacle, the more rewarding the creative outcome.
• Don't be afraid to fail. Use mistakes as stepping stones to breakthrough discoveries that deliver captivating solutions.

Jumpstart lateral thinking with Figma

Kick off lateral thinking with brainstorm sessions on FigJam’s online collaborative whiteboard —or take your pick of FigJam’s brainstorming templates . Sketch out team ideas with a mind map , and you'll find unexpected connections among them.

For more inspiration, check out Figma’s community-built mind mapping examples and templates —including Carter’s popular mind map tool .

Ready to get your team's creativity flowing?

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Lateral Thinking

What is lateral thinking.

Lateral thinking (horizontal thinking) is a form of ideation where designers approach problems by using reasoning that is disruptive or not immediately obvious. They use indirect and creative methods to think outside the box and see problems from radically new angles, gaining insights to help find innovative solutions.

“You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper.” — Dr. Edward de Bono, Brain-training pioneer who devised lateral thinking 

See how lateral thinking can stretch towards powerful, “impossible” solutions:

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Lateral Thinking helps Break Out of the Box

Many problems (e.g., mathematical ones) require the vertical, analytical, step-by-step approach we’re so familiar with. Called linear thinking , it’s based on logic, existing solutions and experience: You know where to start and what to do to reach a solution, like following a recipe. However, many design problems—particularly, wicked problems —are too complex for this critical path of reasoning. They may have several potential solutions. Also, they won’t offer clues; unless we realize our way of thinking is usually locked into a tight space and we need a completely different approach.

© Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 4.0

That’s where lateral thinking comes in – essentially thinking outside the box. “The box” refers to the apparent constraints of the design space and our limited perspective from habitually meeting problems head-on and linearly. Designers often don’t realize what their limitations are when considering problems – hence why lateral thinking is invaluable in (e.g.) the design thinking process. Rather than be trapped by logic and assumptions, you learn to stand back and use your imagination to see the big picture when you:

Focus on overlooked aspects of a situation/problem .

Challenge assumptions – to break free from traditional ways of understanding a problem/concept/solution.

Seek alternatives – not just alternative potential solutions, but alternative ways of thinking about problems .

When you do this, you tap into disruptive thinking and can turn an existing paradigm on its head. Notable examples include:

The mobile defibrillator and mobile coronary care – Instead of trying to resuscitate heart-attack victims once they’re in hospital, treat them at the scene .

Uber – Instead of investing in a fleet of taxicabs, have drivers use their own cars .

Rather than focus on channeling more resources into established solutions to improve them, these innovators assessed their problems creatively and uncovered game-changing (and life-changing) insights.

© Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 3.0

How to Get Fresh Perspectives with Lateral Thinking 

For optimal results, use lateral thinking early in the divergent stages of ideation . You want to reframe the problem and:

Understand what’s constraining you and why .

Find new strategies to solutions and places/angles to start exploring .

Find the apparent edges of your design space and push beyond them – to reveal the bigger picture.

You can use various methods. A main approach is provocations : namely, to make deliberately false statements about an aspect of the problem/situation . This could be to question the norms through contradiction, distortion, reversal (i.e., of assumptions), wishful thinking or escapism , for example:

Here, we see the norm of conventional schooling challenged and some unpredictable (and even outrageous) notions to trigger our thinking. Our example showcases this method:

Bad Ideas – You think up as many bad or crazy ideas as possible, but these might have potentially good aspects (e.g., helping children specialize in desired subjects earlier). You also establish why bad aspects are bad (e.g., inserting biochips would be a gross violation of human rights).

Other helpful methods include:

Random Metaphors

Randomly pick an item near you or word from a dictionary and write down as many aspects/associations about it as possible. E.g., “Exhibition” – “visitors walk around enjoying paintings”; “learn about cultures”; “pleasant environment”.

Pretend some genius in your field told you this item/word is a good metaphor for your project. E.g., you can organize information, tips and images for your travel-related app to also act like an art/museum exhibition, so anyone can enjoy an interesting tour of a given location.

Use the metaphors you think of to improve your design/product. E.g., you create a captivating app which virtual tourists can enjoy with (e.g.) virtual reality features.

SCAMPER – To help generate ideas for new solutions, ask 7 different types of questions to help understand how you might innovate and improve existing products, services, concepts, etc. SCAMPER is remarkably easy to learn and efficient in ideation sessions.

Six Thinking Hats – To reach for alternative viewpoints, you examine problems from 6 perspectives, one at a time (e.g., white hat = focusing on available data; black hat = focusing on potentially negative outcomes). 

Overall, it’s important to stay aware of where ideation sessions are going. You may need to pause to redirect the group’s thinking or introduce a new trigger/provocation to help the creative process. Later, you use convergent thinking to isolate optimal solutions.

Learn More about Lateral Thinking

Take our Creativity course , featuring lateral thinking.

This thought-provoking Smashing Magazine blog explores l ateral thinking with more techniques .

Read one design team’s insightful account about lateral thinking .

Questions related to Lateral Thinking

Lateral thinking is changing your approach to solve problems or generate new ideas. Take Edward de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ as an example of lateral thinking. It involves adopting different roles to approach problems. This video shows how to break free from your usual thinking patterns.

Imagine a person who is generally optimistic. Using the ' black hat ' approach, they could try looking at things negatively. This might help them find new, innovative solutions that they wouldn't have thought of. They can gain a better understanding of the situation by changing their perspective.

The four lateral thinking techniques are:

Provocation : This involves disrupting conventional thinking patterns with unusual ideas.

Challenge : The challenge is about questioning the status quo. It’s about looking at things as if they might be wrong, even if they seem right. This approach encourages deeper analysis and alternative viewpoints.

Random Entry : This technique generates new ideas using a random word or idea as a starting point. It creates connections that may not be immediately noticeable.

Alternatives : It focuses on shifting thinking patterns by exploring various directions and possibilities.

All these techniques encourage thinking outside the box and fostering creativity.

Lateral thinking and linear thinking are two distinct approaches to problem-solving. Linear thinking is sequential and logical. It follows a straight, step-by-step path that relies on data and analysis. It focuses on following the standard path of reasoning going along, as Alan Dix describes it. 

Lateral thinking is non-linear. It involves creativity and looking at problems from various angles. It’s about challenging assumptions and exploring unconventional solutions. 

Linear thinking concentrates on details and processes. Whereas lateral thinking emphasizes brainstorming and producing innovative ideas. Both are valuable, but they approach problems from different perspectives.

Yes, lateral thinking is a valuable skill. It's a problem-solving approach that stresses creative thinking. Unlike traditional linear thinking, it's about exploring diverse ideas. You can hone this skill through practice, challenging assumptions, making unexpected connections, and approaching problems from fresh angles. 

People skilled in lateral thinking are often adept at generating innovative solutions . Many fields, especially those requiring innovation and creativity, value this skill.

Lateral thinking often aligns with intelligence distinct from traditional measures like IQ. Intelligence manifests in various forms, and lateral thinking showcases creative, problem-solving intelligence. Lateral thinkers view things from unique perspectives. They create innovative ideas and link unrelated concepts. This ability marks an essential aspect of creative intelligence. 

This video discusses problem redefinition and negotiation in real-world scenarios. Traditional intelligence focuses on finding a single right solution using given information. But lateral thinking is like solving real-world problems. This approach holds significant value in fields that demand innovation and creative problem-solving. Here, Professor Alan Dix discusses 

While different from traditional logical thinking, lateral thinking has its logic. It’s not illogical or random. Instead, it follows a distinct reasoning that prioritizes creativity and innovation. Traditional logic is linear and sequential. It focuses on reaching conclusions based on existing knowledge and facts. 

Lateral thinking involves looking at problems from new angles and making unexpected connections. Lateral thinking is a creative way of problem-solving. It can help you find unique and practical solutions. Lateral thinking is a powerful tool when conventional logic doesn't work. Check out this video to learn about different types of creativity and what can get in the way of being creative.

• Copyright holder: Bengt Oberger. Appearance time: 2:18 - 2:23 Copyright license and terms: CC-BY-SA-4.0 Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Margaret_Boden_01.JPG
• Copyright holder: Niklas Morberg. Appearance time: 5:27 - 5:32 Copyright license and terms: CC BY-SA 2.0 Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/morberg/3231304833

Lateral thinking and brainstorming are similar yet different. Lateral thinking helps solve problems using creative and unconventional approaches. It breaks away from traditional methods.

Brainstorming is a group activity where people contribute ideas without judgment to solve a problem. It generates creative solutions.

Lateral thinking can be a solitary or group activity and it focuses on thinking differently. It's a specific approach to problem-solving that emphasizes creativity.

Lateral thinking is crucial because it fosters creativity and innovation. It allows you to explore new ideas and solutions that conventional, linear thinking might not reveal. Lateral thinking helps adapt to new challenges and situations. It encourages looking at problems from multiple perspectives. This leads to more comprehensive and sometimes unexpected solutions. This type of thinking is crucial in innovative fields like business, technology, and design. 

Lateral thinking breaks from traditional thought patterns and contributes to advancements and breakthroughs. It enhances problem-solving skills and promotes a more dynamic approach to challenges.

Yes, lateral thinking is a form of divergent thinking . Divergent thinking is about spontaneously generating diverse ideas or solutions to a problem. Lateral thinking, a term coined by Edward de Bono, is a specific kind of divergent thinking. It looks at problems from new and unusual angles and seeks innovative solutions outside conventions. 

Divergent thinking is a broader concept encompassing various methods of generating creative ideas. Lateral thinking focuses more on breaking conventional patterns and thinking beyond the norm. Both are key in creative processes, encouraging broad exploration of possibilities.

You can take the creativity course featuring lateral thinking to learn more about lateral thinking. This course would be a more in-depth and interactive way to learn. The course will also help develop your lateral thinking skills through practical applications.

Literature on Lateral Thinking

Here’s the entire UX literature on Lateral Thinking by the Interaction Design Foundation, collated in one place:

Learn more about Lateral Thinking

Take a deep dive into Lateral Thinking with our course Creativity: Methods to Design Better Products and Services .

The overall goal of this course is to help you design better products, services and experiences by helping you and your team develop innovative and useful solutions. You’ll learn a human-focused, creative design process.

We’re going to show you what creativity is as well as a wealth of ideation methods ―both for generating new ideas and for developing your ideas further. You’ll learn skills and step-by-step methods you can use throughout the entire creative process. We’ll supply you with lots of templates and guides so by the end of the course you’ll have lots of hands-on methods you can use for your and your team’s ideation sessions. You’re also going to learn how to plan and time-manage a creative process effectively.

Most of us need to be creative in our work regardless of if we design user interfaces, write content for a website, work out appropriate workflows for an organization or program new algorithms for system backend. However, we all get those times when the creative step, which we so desperately need, simply does not come. That can seem scary—but trust us when we say that anyone can learn how to be creative­ on demand . This course will teach you ways to break the impasse of the empty page. We'll teach you methods which will help you find novel and useful solutions to a particular problem, be it in interaction design, graphics, code or something completely different. It’s not a magic creativity machine, but when you learn to put yourself in this creative mental state, new and exciting things will happen.

In the “Build Your Portfolio: Ideation Project” , you’ll find a series of practical exercises which together form a complete ideation project so you can get your hands dirty right away. If you want to complete these optional exercises, you will get hands-on experience with the methods you learn and in the process you’ll create a case study for your portfolio which you can show your future employer or freelance customers.

Your instructor is Alan Dix . He’s a creativity expert, professor and co-author of the most popular and impactful textbook in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Alan has worked with creativity for the last 30+ years, and he’ll teach you his favorite techniques as well as show you how to make room for creativity in your everyday work and life.

You earn a verifiable and industry-trusted Course Certificate once you’ve completed the course. You can highlight it on your resume , your LinkedIn profile or your website .

All open-source articles on Lateral Thinking

Learn how to use the worst possible idea method.

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Understand the Elements and Thinking Modes that Create Fruitful Ideation Sessions

• 4 years ago

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Lateral Thinking

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Lateral thinking is a term developed in 1973 by Edward De Bono, with the publication of his book Lateral thinking: creativity step by step .

Lateral thinking involves looking at a situation or problem from a unique or unexpected point of view .

Using Lateral Thinking

De Bono explained that typical problem-solving attempts involve a linear, step by step approach. More creative answers can arrive from taking a step “sideways” to re-examine a situation or problem from an entirely different and more creative viewpoint.

Imagine that your family arrives home from a weekend trip to find Mom’s favorite vase broken on the floor beside the dining room table. Close examination shows that the family cat’s paw prints are clearly visible on the tabletop.

The logical assumption would be that the cat was walking around on the table and had knocked the vase to the floor. But that is a linear assumption. What if the sequence of events was different? A lateral thinker might consider that the vase broke first, and then the cat jumped onto the table. What could have caused that to happen? Perhaps a small earthquake had occurred while the family was out of town, and the chaos caused by the trembling floor, the odd noises, and the crashing vase had caused the cat to jump onto the furniture? It is a possible answer!

De Bono suggests that lateral thinking is necessary for coming up with solutions that aren’t so straightforward. It is easy to see from the example above that lateral thinking comes into play when solving crimes. Lawyers and detectives do employ lateral thinking when attempting to solve crimes because the sequence of events is often not as straightforward it first appears to be.

Students can find that lateral thinking is an especially useful technique for creative arts. When writing a short story, for example, lateral thinking would be an effective tool for coming up with unexpected twists and turns in a plot.

Lateral thinking is also a skill that researchers use when evaluating evidence or interpreting sources.

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What is lateral thinking?

Last updated

27 April 2023

Reviewed by

Eliz Ayaydin

Most people have heard of the saying “think outside the box” or some variation of it, like “color outside the lines.” But you might not realize that those concepts are rooted in a psychological processing method called lateral thinking.

So, what is lateral thinking? And more importantly, how can today’s leaders, researchers, and marketers apply it to modern problem-solving and project-based initiatives?

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• Understanding lateral thinking

Lateral thinking is a solutions-based series of techniques that help the user reframe a challenge or problem with a renewed or more creative perspective. Using new relationships and associations that are not always immediately present can help you change your perspective and identify emerging or new solutions.

This technique also involves employing different methods or paths to achieve an outcome or solve a problem. It applies a creative approach.

In that sense, lateral thinking differs from vertical thinking, which is a more linear approach where following predictable steps produces predictable outcomes.

Lateral thinking goes beyond brainstorming. It involves an entire series of steps and intentional mindset methods that ultimately allow you to “think outside the box” to create, solve, and build in new directions and innovative ways. It allows you to challenge norms and break through with more efficient, effective, or resilient outcomes.

• The principles of lateral thinking in UX design

Lateral thinking has four pillars, or principles.

1. The first is the process of recognizing the given problem’s dominant ideas and perceptions.

2. The second pillar involves searching for new ways to look at the problem.

3. The third pillar is letting go of rigid thinking rules, allowing the mind to explore new alternative solutions.

4. The final pillar is the act of coming up with other ideas.

You can use these four core pillars of lateral thinking to break up and recombine the elements in different, unexpected ways to think outside the box. Together, these four principles allow you to step outside of the core issue and reapproach it with fresh eyes, a fresh mindset, and no predispositions.

• Benefits of lateral thinking in UX design

Lateral thinking offers many benefits. Some of the greatest are those leveraged in UX design projects.

Rigid and efficient template formats are great starting points in design, but breaking down those “lines” with lateral thinking enables a designer to “color” outside of them.

• Three modes of thinking in ideation sessions

When you break down your thought processes into lateral thinking ideation sessions, you’ll engage in one of the three modes of thinking below. Whatever it is that you’re creating or solving, you can apply any (or all three) of these modes to tap into the most creative lateral thinking.

Divergent thinking

Divergent thinking is an early-stage form of lateral thinking where you pool together ideas, prioritizing quantity over quality.

Imagine a map with a single idea or problem at the center. You might draw lines outward from that central point to represent new thoughts. Those lines can branch out further with even more ideas.

During this thinking session, you throw all your concepts at the wall—the good, the bad, and the ugly. You don’t need to consider practical constraints. Instead, you can discover even more innovative paths forward.

Often, this type of thinking is also called “blue sky thinking.” It’s creative brainstorming without any limits.

Emergent thinking

If divergent thinking is considered the early stage, emergent thinking is the in-between phase of thought processing. It involves comparing and combining ideas. Here, variations of the original ideas will begin to evolve into new ideas.

This is the idea-building phase where you’ll form new connections, shake things up a bit, and allow sparks of creativity to creep into the solution or design-building process.

Divergent thinking is more chaotic than emergent thinking. Sessions in this phase will allow for trigger stimuli and platforms to develop. It’s here that the really big and exciting ideas can emerge as you move toward completely unforeseen possibilities.

Convergent thinking

Convergent thinking involves closing off the sessions with logical reasoning. You’ll sift through all your ideas, hone in on common themes and ideas, and eliminate those that don’t lead to effective solutions. You’ll narrow down the ideas that fit best by running them through the “filter” of feasibility, visibility, and desirability.

There’s still plenty more to do before you can bring your big ideas to fruition—but this final thinking session is where you can hope to settle on your final solution or idea.

• Elements that influence ideation sessions

Several influential factors will contribute to your ideation sessions. Each of these elements will play a role in your lateral thinking exercise. Take care to recognize and incorporate the factors that make the most sense to your project ideation. Allow those influences to help you forge new designs and solutions moving forward.

Mental modes

You’ll want to consider the mental modes, also known as thinking modes. Understand how you process information and adjust your thinking in a way that will allow you to generate non-traditional or non-linear ideas. Recognize when you’re “coloring inside the lines” so you can determine when it’s okay to step outside of them.

People dynamics

Some people dynamics involve understanding and managing group cohesion in an effort to tap into the collective’s cognitive power. Group dynamics will enable a team approach, which avoids people-related obstacles and improves the generation of new ideas.

Brilliant ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, anytime. Foster an environment where people are comfortable sharing ideas—good and bad—during ideation sessions.

Clear goals

This might seem obvious, but goal-setting influences ideation sessions. Your ideation session will be much more productive if you have clear objectives and have identified potential problems.

It’s a good idea to create a problem statement or point of view before your ideation session begins. From there, you can move into the various modes of thinking with a finish line in mind. You should also outline the roles of the people involved and the project’s requirements.

Tools and methods

You can’t embark on a new project of any kind without first assembling the tools needed to facilitate your efforts. Ideation sessions are no different.

Prepare and leverage any ideation methods and tools you need to help you think beyond the boundaries of traditional problem-solving. Bring in the whiteboards. Introduce a full palette of colors instead of predetermined color combinations. And tap into every tool that encourages lateral thinking processes.

Constraints

Don’t think of constraints as inhibitors. You’ll want to identify and implement the right kind of constraints during your ideation sessions. These will guide your lateral thinking process as a group and in conjunction with the team’s objectives. It can be a chaotic process without a few ground rules in place.

• How to improve lateral thinking

Lateral thinking, like any other human process or function, can be strengthened and improved. Practice the techniques below to build in some muscle memory for breaking free from rigid approaches, allowing more creative freedom when researching and finding solutions.

Mind mapping

Mind mapping involves visualizing your project and process. Write down a central problem or topic, then think of new, related ideas and have them spread out from the center.

Follow these steps when mind mapping:

Identify your central concept

Add branches that correlate to your concept

Add additional terms to expand your reach and search efforts

Incorporate images and colors to stimulate new ideas and visually connect them

Embrace each team member’s ideas and perceptions

Using your senses

Another way to improve lateral thinking is by getting back to basics and using your five senses. Critically think about how you perceive the concept before you. Think shape, size, environmental sounds, and touch. When you’re mindful of the five senses, you can expand your creative thinking to include innovative new ideas.

Reverse thinking

You can also incorporate reverse thinking to improve your efforts. With this technique, you identify the solution or next step that most other people would adopt. Then, explore solutions for the opposite.

Don’t be afraid to challenge your own thinking. For example, perhaps you’re not a fan of the color green, so you avoid this color in every design project you take on. Recognize your preconceived notions so you can break free of them during your ideation sessions.

• Tips for incorporating lateral thinking in UX design

As a digital creator or professional interested in exploring lateral thinking methods for UX design, you’ll benefit from these techniques. You’re in an artistic field, so you will naturally want creative freedom. However, there are rules to follow when it comes to effective UX designs.

Consider these tips to help you find your perfect creative, yet effective, balance for lateral thinking.

Be aware of your traditional or default thought processes so that you can explore beyond them.

Open yourself up to random and unassociated stimulation, like taking a different route than usual, listening to a podcast, or having a conversation with a stranger.

Always be looking for alternatives and take more time to think of other options.

Find transitional objects or bridges to new concepts. A transitional object is something that embodies certain characteristics that you can use as inspiration for new ideas.

Ask random questions about your designs and techniques.

Challenge your habits regularly.

Alter your thinking by doing things like reversing the relationship between parts of a problem or going in the opposite direction of what’s implied.

• Examples of lateral thinking in UX design

Lateral thinking and the processes involved can be hard to grasp if you’re unfamiliar with the techniques. To help you visualize how to apply these processes to your UX design projects, check out the following design-related examples:

Incorporating new formats that contradict design norms

Forming new angles where most designs incorporate rigid symmetry

Sampling color combinations not traditionally used in UX design

Breaking free of template designs to favor new flows of online user experiences

What is lateral thinking vs. vertical thinking?

A vertical thinking method relies heavily on logic and patterns for more rigid decision-making.

Lateral thinking, on the other hand, embraces a more creative method for seeking and identifying new ways to approach decision-making. This technique results in innovation, whereas vertical thinking results in predetermined or expected results.

What is creative thinking vs. lateral thinking?

Creative thinking is a broad term used to describe how you might explore all possibilities. Lateral thinking is similar because it also takes a more creative approach, but it’s more structured. It involves a series of processes and considers a host of factors to intentionally explore beyond traditional formats or boundaries. It’s an expressed method of creative thinking.

Is lateral thinking necessary for creativity?

Being creative as a stand-alone concept can be challenging if you don’t apply some methods and structure. Lateral thinking is essential for results-driven creativity. It allows you to apply specific methods to be more effective creatively.

Is lateral thinking the same as brainstorming?

Think of brainstorming or life-storming (where you reflect on your experiences to draw inspiration) as a step in the lateral thinking process. Lateral thinking encompasses all the steps from mindset to ideation sessions, including brainstorming beyond normal interpretations.

Why is lateral thinking important for problem-solving?

There’s no sense in trying to reinvent the wheel if there’s already a solution to an existing problem. However, problems tend to shift and present new challenges that call for new solutions. Sometimes, existing solutions can still be improved for better efficiency or engagement. Lateral thinking is pivotal in any problem-solving endeavor that calls for innovation.

Start coloring outside the lines and thinking outside the box with lateral thinking strategies. It’s how today’s designers, researchers, and problem-solvers find new and innovative ways forward. When you can apply methods and processes to your creativity, you can explore entirely new solutions and discover ground-breaking results.

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The most valuable skill in difficult times is lateral thinking—here’s how to do it.

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Lateral thinking is the essence of creativity.

In times of crisis, much gets written about the importance of leaders not “losing their heads.” But, while remaining calm is a pre-requisite of almost all good decision-making, it is only a means to an end.

Lateral thinking—a term first coined by Edward de Bono in 1967—refers to a person’s capacity to address problems by imagining solutions that cannot be arrived at via deductive or logical means. Or, to put it in simpler terms: the ability to develop original answers to difficult questions. This is the essence of creativity, and all organizations benefit from it at times of change—when, by definition, traditional solutions are unlikely to get the desired result.

To regard lateral thinking as the preserve of certain parts of a business—marketing, for example—is tempting. Tempting—and wrong. Take finance. “Very rarely have I seen fresh approaches to fundraising being considered as part of business continuity planning,” says Adam Tilson of Alternative Finance, a specialist in helping organizations raise capital. “But the process is not difficult or necessarily expensive, and there are many opportunities to think outside the box and solve problems.” The key, Tilson suggests, is to not let received wisdom stand in the way—and to find sources of support who are also prepared to innovate. In doing so, le aders “are often able to access radically different solutions and much more flexibility than they might at first believe,” he says.

People management is another area where lateral thinking can bear huge dividends, despite the reputation of HR as highly process-oriented. “The questions that we should be asking in HR are those such as: h ow do we build talent pools for the future?” says David Reay , senior VP of HR at Sony Music Worldwide. “And how do we help people learn quickly and well, by harnessing the power of digital?” He believes that the answers to such questions require not just logical but creative thought. “And they remain the key questions for HR, regardless of might be happening in the outside world.”

The critical point is this: it does not matter a jot what you do or where you work. Everyone has it in them to add transformational value through lateral thinking—even, or especially, in times of change or crisis.

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And it’s an increasingly in-demand skill. Ashleigh Otter, chief of staff at online library Perlego, agrees. “The ability to problem solve and think critically is one of the main attributes we look for when hiring,” she says. “In a world that is constantly changing, we need to be able to adapt and look beyond what is our default.”

So, how do you think laterally when the world around you is in a blind panic? Here are four techniques that will help, whatever organization or situation you find yourself in.

Pick a transitional object

“What would Bruce Lee do?” might not be the most conventional start to a conversation about strategy, but it might help you shake up your thinking.

A transitional object is someone or something embodying certain characteristics or qualities that you can use as inspiration for new ideas. (Whether or not the person or thing concerned actually does embody those qualities in real life is irrelevant. Perception is reality.)

Transitional objects can be people or things that you like or admire—or the opposite. The point here is that they embody a set of qualities that do not exist in your organization (or life) today. To continue with the above example, Bruce Lee taught the importance of working with—rather than against—the energy of your attacker. How might this inform your strategy?

Which plot underpins your business or project?

Jump to the wrong answer

Asking “what’s the one thing we absolutely should not do in this situation?” is an irreverent question that can challenge conventional thinking about what is an advisable course of action.

Faced with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Swedish clothing manufacturer Asket did precisely the wrong thing on paper: it suspended all sales on those days and instead sold only clothing protection products. But in doing so, it strongly reinforced its brand message about sustainable consumption and the importance of buying well—and earned additional respect from its environmentally-conscious customer base.

Bear in mind that, when innovating, it can be way easier to go way out and wind back than to try solving problems by iterating from a conservative start point. Even if the answer to this counterintuitive question is, in reality, completely the wrong thing to do, it can pave the way to new thinking about what’s right.

Don’t add—subtract

Most strategies and tactics are additive—they often involve doing more things in ever-shorter timescales, diluting impact and burning people out.

Asking “what would happen if we stopped doing—or asked others to stop doing—the following?” can stimulate new thinking about your customer experience, employee experience or even overall strategy. Doing so will also challenge your organization’s received wisdom about resource deployment, which can be beneficial when trading is tough.

Bear in mind that Twitter—a business that can stake a reasonable claim to having changed the world—was invented not by adding but subtracting. In that case, the element that was taken away was the permission to use more than 140 characters when blogging.

Tell a different story

According to the author Christopher Booker, all narratives orient around a very small number of basic, archetypal plots that human beings are pre-programmed to understand:

• Voyage and return
• Overcoming the monster
• Rags to riches

This is not just a matter for fiction writers. Consider which plot currently underpins your business or project. Now pick another one—and rewrite the future. For example, are you a running a plucky scale-up that is “overcoming the monster” in your category? What would happen if, instead, you attempted to “rebirth” your marketplace or customer offering? Might that change, for example, your appetite for finance?

In times of crisis, the plot that many leaders unconsciously follow is “tragedy”. Try reframing your struggles as “voyage and return,” say—and you might be surprised at both the emotional and strategic shifts that this particular exercise in lateral thinking helps you to achieve.

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How to improve your lateral thinking skills for work

Lateral thinking means taking a creative approach to a problem or challenge. It's a great skill to have at work. 

Here we'll talk you through what the ability is, and give some examples of lateral thinking skills.

What is lateral thinking?

It essentially means being able to think creatively or "outside the box" in order to solve a problem .

Usually, logical thinking is used to solve problems in a direct, straightforward way (also known as vertical thinking). Lateral thinking however, looks at things from a sideways perspective (also known as horizontal thinking), in order to find answers that aren't immediately apparent.

The term was first coined by psychologist Edward de Bono. These skills are often required in creative careers like marketing or advertising .

If you study graphic or art and design at school, there's a good chance that you will have developed some of these skills already, which can be useful in your future career .

Examples of lateral thinking interview questions

These questions are particularly popular with job interviewers. Not only do they test your ability to think creatively, but they can also reveal your problem solving skills as well. If you're someone who enjoys playing puzzles or working out brain teasers, then you may already be good at answering these types of interview questions .

This type of interview question can sometimes be difficult to identify. If you're ever asked a question in an interview that seems a bit odd, or perhaps doesn't make sense upon first hearing, there's a chance it could be a lateral thinking question. The  University of Kent has a great resource that provides a list of these types of questions. Here are some examples of lateral thinking based questions:

• Name an ancient invention still in use in most parts of the world today that allows people to see through walls. Answer: The window.
• An Australian woman was born in 1948 but only celebrated her 16th birthday quite recently. Why? Answer: She was born on February the 29th.

Or you may simply be asked:  Can you give us an example of a difficult situation where you had to think laterally to get out of it?

This question is actually more difficult that it might seem. A good place to start could be to think of a time when you did something creative and came across a problem, then explain how you resolved it by using some sideways thinking.

How to improve your lateral thinking skills

Improving these skills can be challenging as lateral thinking comes more naturally to some people than others.

However, like everything else, practice makes perfect, and setting yourself lateral thinking examples can help.

Because this type of skill is "situational" and displays a thought process rather than something physical (like IT skills  for example), it can be tough to come up with ways of boosting your ability.

Here are some exercises you could try:

Mind mapping

Mind maps can be a great way of solving a problem when logical thinking just doesn't help. Because mind maps are visual aids, they require your brain to adjust its thought processes, which can often help you find answers unexpectedly. Mind maps give you the opportunity to put all your ideas down on paper and then take a step back to gather your thoughts.

Using your senses

We all have five senses – sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste – yet we very rarely use all of them to solve problems. Typically, you use our visual senses to work things out but making use of our other senses can sometimes have useful results.

For example, when faced with a problem, why not speak your thoughts aloud and record them on your mobile phone? When you listen back, you may find something that you would have missed otherwise.

Reverse thinking

Reverse thinking involves analysing what people normally do in a situation and then doing the opposite. If you find yourself only getting so far into a problem and them becoming stuck, you might want to start at the end and work backwards. For example, look at the problem and then describe what you'd ideally like the solution to be. From there, you can begin working backwards to find the starting point to your solution.

What careers use lateral thinking?

Lateral thinking is a useful skill whatever job you end up doing, but there are some career paths where it can really come in handy. Here are some examples of lateral thinking career choices:

Advertising

People who  work in advertising use this type of thinking to persuade us to buy products. If it's often those adverts that make us think or a little different that we remember the most.

Marketers often have to come up with novel or creative ways to promote products and services. Although there are some rules in marketing, it's often the campaigns that bend the rules slightly that are successful.

Working in the media , you may have to use these thinking skills to deliver a message in a creative way. Whether you're a journalist, filmmaker or press release writer, some sideways thinking can come in handy.

Hopefully all those examples of lateral thinking have helped you to understand what it's all about and why it could be useful in your career. Now it's time to check out those other employability skills you need to make it in the world of work.

Related posts

What Skills Do I Have? A List of Skills For The Workplace

What Are Transferable Skills and How Can They Help My Career?

How to Improve Your Communication Skills for Work

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Michael Muxworthy – Lateral Thinking Author

Disruptive creativity

65 Real Examples of Lateral Thinking in Everyday Use

Everyday examples of lateral thinking, including real-life examples of lateral thinking in action.

There’s a huge misconception ‘out there’ that I’d like to correct– ‘Creative thinking is difficult, and something best left to the experts.’

In fact, creative thinking is easy . It comes naturally to us as children. As we grow older we learn and adopt successful patterns that make life easier and more comfortable. That’s okay. But, as our expertise grows, our need to innovate diminishes and so does our propensity for creative thinking.

Lateral thinking is about breaking free from the shackles of our expertise, learning, and experiences so that our natural creativity can thrive.

Lateral thinking definition:

Lateral thinking is a deliberate process of disrupting existing patterns so that new and original ways of combining things can be revealed.

(N.B. For a more comprehensive understanding of lateral thinking’s role in creativity, please check out: ‘What exactly is lateral thinking’ .)

 – – –

Example: Competition Vs Differentiation.

Disruptive tools in play: ‘Alternative Perspective’   and ‘Question Existing Patterns’ .

The owner of an Australian construction materials company approached me with the problem of maintaining his sales in the face of new and stiff competition. His company distributed through hardware stores and building supply businesses. He told me that distributors demanded cheaper pricing as his products were easily substituted with less expensive alternatives.

Should the business owner discount his product to stave off his rivals? 

‘Competition reduces profits, so try to differentiate instead’

I persuaded the business owner to bypass his customers (the stores that sold and distributed his products) and seek out the ‘Alternative Perspectives’ of those who worked with the products on building sites.

Several months later, the business owner returned with unexpected feedback;  builders often had frustrating cost overruns due to mismeasuring. Even the smallest incorrect measurement could result in enormous waste.

The unexpected differentiation – The business owner altered the production process to include printing small cut/measurement lines along the length of his products allowing builders to easily quick-check their measurements before cutting. Cutting errors (and costs) were substantially reduced. The products were now less vulnerable to price competition and became the popular choice.

I congratulated the business owner, but suggested he hadn’t gone far enough and employed the disruptive strategy ‘Question Existing Patterns’ (asking ‘why?’ when the answer seems obvious) … “ Why are you printing the measurements on your products?”

The business owner’s response, “Are you suggesting it’s a mistake? Or do you think I should be doing something else? Something more?” 

He was so excited about something that had just occurred to him that he hung up on me without saying “goodbye” LOL. I can only imagine the innovation that came to mind. I’ll update this example when he gets back to me.

Deriving new and original thinking really is that easy.

Lateral thinking turns away from competition to instead differentiate 

The most powerful lateral thinking teaching tool available anywhere …

Lateral Thinking Disruptive Creativity

Live your dreams.

“It will enormously impact your life and the lives of those you truly care about.”

– Michael Muxworthy

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Take a SNEAK PEEK inside

‘Sometimes … the best person for the job is the person with NO specific experience or expertise’

– Michael Muxworthy, Lateral Thinking Author

Lateral thinking strategy in use: Random Starting Points

I was appointed General Manager of a group of Australian auction centers … an industry I knew little about.

Let that sink in for a moment . . .

‘I was given the top job despite not having specific experience’

The company was in serious financial difficulty.

General auction is ‘slim pickings’ . . . basically, to keep the doors open, we needed to pick up ‘forced’ liquidations or major stock clearances with some sort of regularity.

The managers and staff assured me that they had submitted for every known opportunity, and the ONLY reason they didn’t win a proposal was because of the undercutting of rates by competitors. The competition was tough, with strong downward pressure to reduce commissions.

The task at hand was to find differentiated niche markets that would provide reliable profit with minimal competition.

I called a staff meeting. It didn’t take long for the topics to go stale, the ‘excuses’ to become repetitive, and the mood … defeatist!

‘There was a sort of unstated consensus in the room that my appointment to the top job was a huge mistake’

“Please open a magazine to a random page?” I asked one of the managers, quite unexpectedly. “Without looking at the page, point to a random position. What’s the nearest noun or verb?”

“I’m pointing to a picture of a man sitting at a desk,” he told me.

“Okay, it seems to me that we’re extremely competitive in the auction marketplace, and maybe that’s the problem. Competition drives down . . . ”

I deliberately left the sentence hanging.

“Profit?” said a nervous young floor manager.

“Exactly. Competition drives down profit, so let’s keep our competing to a minimum.”

“How?” it was a chorus of like minds now.

Competition Vs Differentiation

“Okay, we’ll use ‘desk’ as a RANDOM STARTING POINT to begin some original thinking,” I suggested to some very confused faces. “Give me some thoughts around the word ‘desk’.”

The young floor manager eventually shot to his feet.

“We’re selling ‘seconds’ for a local office furniture manufacturer.”

“Okay, is that profitable?”

“No. Office furniture has become too competitive with all the cheap stuff coming in from China.”

“China!” I might have startled him. “All this new competition from China is driving a lot of businesses to the wall. Let’s seek them out BEFORE they get into receivership. Even if they’re not at risk of going under, maybe they’ve had enough of the low-profit environment and want to get out of business economically and quickly?”

I took the young manager for an impromptu visit to the furniture manufacturer. Four hours later, we had an agreement in place to market and sell everything ‘NO RESERVE’.

It was the beginning of a new strategy of building close relationships with businesses that were impacted by cheap imports. Lateral thinking had ‘disrupted’ how we thought about chasing business.

‘Lateral thinking disrupts what exists and frees your mind to consider alternatives’

Random Starting Points became a regular feature at future meetings.

It was fun, team building, and it consistently drove the focus of our meetings towards differentiated, non-competitive thinking.

‘The introduction of some very simple techniques of disruptive creativity into our meetings helped me shift the focus away from competing’

See the lesson Random Starting Point to learn more.

 – – – – –

Lateral thinking is a simple and fun lifestyle choice that reengages our imaginations to allow innovation and creativity to thrive.  Everything  you need to facilitate your journey can be found on this website. Some of the key pages I hope you will visit are:

• What  exactly  is lateral thinking?
• Lateral thinking skills to learn and share.

Take a ‘sneak peek’ of what’s inside.

Proudly brought to you by MICHAEL MUXWORTHY

LATERAL THINKING AUTHOR

‘Turning the groupthink tide’

An example of lateral thinking for family harmony

Demonstrating the use of “random starting points”.

“Sometimes I think we might be the ultimate dysfunctional family”

A real example of lateral thinking in use in our family home

– Michael Muxworthy, Lateral Thinking Author of Fiction

A few years ago, we were having one of our more animated discussions on where to go on holiday. We’ve had our fair share of both successes, and failures. After several weeks had passed without resolution, I decided to get everyone together and try the Random Starting Point  lateral thinking tool to see if we could break through the stale thinking.

Pinning a map of Australia to the wall, I gave a throwing dart to my lovely (but slightly inebriated at the time) partner and said …

“Let’s think about what we could do in and around wherever the dart lands”

Well, she threw the dart, and despite being close and the map being of considerable size, she missed completely.

We bought a boat.

Now we take the boat to a mix of destinations and fun opportunities that keeps the whole family (mostly LOL) happy.

We’ve sailed, as a family, more than 4,000 kilometers (so far) and we are considering our first overseas destination as soon as this covid madness settles down properly.

(See RANDOM STARTING POINTS  for a deeper understanding.)

Lateral thinking demonstration of ‘ Creative Combinations’

A real example of lateral thinking applied to demanding teenagers 

We have two teenage girls that are quite frankly … demanding! Living on acreage well outside of town, the girls wanted to be driven ‘everywhere’, causing quite a bit of tension in the household. It felt a bit like our entire lives revolved around the whims of these girls.  LOL

Some other issues causing us concern and conflict were:

• They wanted more pocket money;
• They wanted more freedom;
• We were worried about their activities/safety when spending so much time such a long way from home (Melbourne is more than 50 kilometers away);
• They were unfit and overweight.

I suggested we stop compartmentalizing the various issues (stop seeing them as ‘individual’ problems) and instead imagine how they might combine under a single umbrella-type solution.

The potential things to combine: Less reliance on parents – pocket money – freedom – responsibility – safety – health and fitness – Melbourne’s distance from our home.

The combination we eventually brainstormed:

• Quality mountain bikes for Xmas to be used for their transport wherever practical;
• Whatever we save on car/transport costs they get as additional pocket money;
• They must never ride alone at night;
• They must always know where the other sister is at all times; and
• They must always answer when we call.

One year later . . .

The girls LUV:

• Having the extra $100/week pocket money (although they must now pay ALL of their own public transport costs and bike repairs/maintenance out of that);
• Their new-found freedom;
• Their improved appearance and health;
• The new network of friends they’ve made with such positive attitudes and activities.
• The better atmosphere around the house;
• The fact that they now look out for each other;
• Having more ‘adult-only’ time;
• Feeling confident that the girls are taking safety very seriously;
• That their local friends seem to have negotiated the same deal (and benefits) with their parents;
• That everyone in the house seems fitter and healthier;
• We’re doing something positive for the environment;
• The cops do random drug and alcohol tests on bike riders frequently (LOL);
• The girls seem happy to self-inflict earlier and more sensible curfew times because of public transport limitations with bikes;
• That they’re learning to manage money;
• That they now seem happy to go ‘with’ us to more places now.

I really love this simple and easily recalled tool.

(See CREATIVE COMBINATIONS  for a deeper understanding.)

A lateral thinking example of solving problems

‘Can I borrow the car?’

This is an example of lateral thinking using an existing and powerful problem-solving pattern to disrupt blinkered thinking. ‘Creative combinations’ are used to enhance the outcome.

Tool of disruption we’re using: 4-step problem solving technique.

FOUR QUESTIONS WE’LL BE ASKING …

ONE:        What is the REAL problem?

TWO:        What is the cause, (or causes), of the problem?

THREE:    What are the possible solutions?

FOUR:       What is the BEST possible solution?

Let’s look at the problem I faced recently . . .

Julie (not her real name) had just got her driver’s license and wanted my permission to borrow the car … after her mom has said “NO!”

Julie thought we were being unfair by NOT TRUSTING HER.

“If you hadn’t MADE me finish school, I would have a job and could’ve bought my own car” , she insisted. “You would have had no say in it then!”

Julie and her mom were both in tears over the issue.

LOL . . . memories!

ONE: What then, is the real problem?

Mom insisted the problem was about “safety”.

Julie insisted the problem was about “trust”.

THIS IS IMPORTANT …

IF THE PARTIES TO THE PROBLEM CAN’T AGREE, THEN YOU HAVEN’T IDENTIFIED WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS.

After much discussion and more tears, we determined that the real problem wasn’t about trust, it wasn’t about safety … it was about her mother’s (and mine also) fears NOT being satisfactorily dispelled by Julie.

With all parties in agreement, NOW we can move on.

(N.B. We’ve made no judgment here as to whether the fears are real, imagined, or reasonable. That is irrelevant to this stage of the process.)

TWO: What are the causes of this problem?

• Beginner drivers are disproportionately killed on the road;
• Julie’s skills are not yet what they could be;
• Some of Julie’s “less than sensible” friends might encourage her to push beyond her ability.

Julie says:

• She’s an adult now, and should be treated as such;
• She will have to be able to drive on her own eventually anyway;
• She passed her driver’s test without a single blemish;
• She’s done MUCH MORE than the recommended hours of driver training.
• Julie needs to consider the stress she is causing us.

THREE: What are the possible solutions?

In no particular order we brainstormed between us (and Julie’s younger sister):

• Do more hours driving practice with one of the adults sitting beside her;
• Start off with short journeys alone;
• No passengers allowed for the first few weeks;
• Advanced skills driving course;
• Journey computer in the car to record speeds/locations etc;
• Daylight only until more practiced;
• Dry weather only and definitely no icy roads without specific training;
• Staged/gradual relaxations of the rules as she proves herself.

FOUR: What is the best possible solution?

“From conflict comes opportunity”

This is why I’m sooooo passionate about creative and lateral thinking. We started with a bad situation and we’re about to turn it into a positive. Here is what we decided …

• Julie IS allowed to use the car on her own for very short journeys only and without passengers, until she completes an additional 10 hours of driving experience on the busy Melbourne roads with either myself or her mother beside her;
• After 10 hours of extra experience on the busy city roads, she IS allowed to drive to Melbourne in daylight hours only, and still, no passengers allowed. During this time, she must complete an additional 10 hours of nighttime supervised training on the busy city roads;
• After the now 20 hours day/night experience, she IS allowed to borrow the car at any time that doesn’t have inclement weather or icy roads. Still no friends in the car though. Before being given open access to the car and being allowed to have friends on board, she must complete a further 10 hours of supervised driving in “poor and dangerous driving conditions”.
• The vehicle’s onboard computer and tracking technology (with camera) must remain on at all times.

The outcome: Two weeks later, Julie had full access to the car. Her driving skills had improved considerably, and she was a model of safety for her soon-to-be driving younger sister.

It’s always a worry when new drivers first hit the roads, but I think we’ve prepared this young one as best as possible.

These four simple provocative questions should be considered for EVERY significant or important problem you face for the rest of your life.

(See Problem Solving  for a deeper understanding.)

” . . . don’t kill him!”

The Judgement of Soloman

An Edward de Bono quoted l ateral thinking example

This is a story about King Solomon of Israel from the Hebrew Bible.

King Solomon was faced with the dilemma of ruling between two women who were both claiming the same child as their own. Two mothers of infant boys lived in the same house. One of the boys died, and both mothers claimed the surviving infant as their own.

“Cut the child into two”

Soloman called for a sword, declaring that each mother would be given half. One mother declared that if she couldn’t have the child, neither of them could. The other mother couldn’t accept the judgment. She begged Solomon …

“Give the baby to her, just don’t kill him!”

King Solomon declared the second woman the true mother because a mother would give up her baby if it was necessary to save the infant’s life. Throughout all of Israel, this wise judgment was to become considered an example of profound wisdom.

Edward de Bono recognized this to be an example of lateral thinking when he first introduced the subject in 1967.

 – – – –

I use disruptive lateral thinking strategies to advance my writing, develop my plots, and delight my readers.

Lateral thinking for authors and writers

 … and take your writing to a whole new level

“I want to marry your daughter”

The Tale of Two Pebbles

An all-time classic Lateral Thinking Example

From Edward de Bono

A poor Indian farmer owed a great deal of money to an evil moneylender. The moneylender was very old and ugly, and he fancied the farmer’s very attractive daughter, so he offered a bargain to the farmer.

The moneylender offered to forgo the debt owed by the farmer if he could marry his daughter. Farmer and daughter were horrified. The moneylender was cunning though and suggested they let fate determine the matter. He told them that he’d put both a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag so that the girl could pick one pebble from the bag. The possible outcomes at this point were:

• A black pebble meant she would become the moneylender’s wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven;
• A white pebble meant she need not marry the moneylender and her father’s debt would be paid.
• Refusing to pick a pebble meant that her father would be thrown into debtors’ jail.

The conversation occurred as they were standing on a pebbled path near a creek. As they talked, the moneylender bent over and picked up two pebbles. As he was picking them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

At this point, you imagine yourself advising the daughter. What would you tell her?

Using normal (vertical) logic only three possibilities seem possible:

• Refuse to pick a pebble leading to her father having to go to jail;
• Expose the money-lender as a cheat, but her father would end up going to jail anyway.
• She should sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and jail.

The girl’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

Using lateral thinking you devise a far superior outcome and you advise the daughter.

The girl puts her hand into the bag and draws out a black pebble. Without looking at it or allowing it to be seen, she fumbles and lets it fall onto the pebbled path where it becomes lost among all the other pebbles.

“Sorry!” she says. “However, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one.

The money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty. You have changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

Creative thinking methods for self-improvement:

Goal-setting  –  public speaking  –  problem-solving  –  time management  –  “backwards” planning  –  memory skill, or … do the complete course of 14 free lessons … get started.

Each lesson takes about 10 minutes … the benefits last a lifetime.

“Are you up to the challenge?” Lateral thinking PUZZLES – TOP 70

“The factory is downstream of itself”  

The River Factory Lateral Thinking Example

De Bono suggests that “each factory must be downstream of itself”. In other words, factories should be required to have their water intake downstream from their outflow pipes.

The thinking behind this is that the quality of water flowing out of a factory is much more important to that factory. Simple … and brilliant!

Ever-increasingly, senior management recruiters are looking for a high degree of creativity … the ability to look past the competition and differentiate … to find simple solutions and “workarounds” for difficult problems.

Two of Australia’s TOP recruitment experts reveal the lateral thinking questions they typically pose to applicants …

Lateral thinking job interview questions and resume inclusions

Lateral thinking is a simple and fun lifestyle choice that reengages our imaginations to allow innovation and creativity to thrive..

Available NOW on AMAZON

Take a sneak peek of what’s inside here

The 4WD Incubator Lateral Thinking Example

In 1998 Katmandu, Nepal, there was a critical shortage of working incubators for new-born children. An incredible 96% of all incubators in Nepal were out of operation within 5 years of use; broken down and unable to be fixed because of a lack of knowledge.

An aid worker working in Katmandu noticed a strong presence of Toyota 4 Runners. They were popular because there was plenty of parts and local expertise. It was a thriving industry.

The lateral thinking solution devised was to build incubators out of Toyota parts so that the local mechanics easily identified problems and made repairs.

Lessons that use real examples . . . to teach lateral thinking skills

Provocation operation (po) –  alternative perspective –  random starting points –  creative combinations –  working backwards –  escape dominant thinking –  challenge existing assumptions.

Test yourself!

Lateral Thinking Puzzles

I’m not too sure about this next classic lateral thinking example. It might be true. It’s certainly hilarious.

The Letter From Jail Lateral Thinking Example

A man who had been locked up in jail for several years knew that his mail was being read by the authorities. He and his wife would write to each other on a regular basis. One day, the man received a letter telling him that she wanted to begin planting the vegetable garden but she couldn’t operate the rotor-tiller. The ground was extremely hard and without the aide of the tiller, she didn’t think she could manage the task.

The husband thought about this for a while, and then he wrote back . . .

“Stop immediately! Do NOT plant anything in the vegetable garden. That’s where all the money and gold is hidden!!”

About a week later, the woman wrote back to her husband . . .

“I knew I married a very smart man. A dozen police officers just left here muddied and exhausted after digging up the vegetable garden for several hours. There will be fresh vegetables on the table by the time you get back home.”

The Failed Baseball Bat Lateral Thinking Example

A businessman decides to cash in on a wave of recent enthusiasm in the game of baseball. He orders and pays (non-refundable) for 100,000 baseball bats in advance to be made in China. The Chinese however, know very little about the “science” of making quality baseball bats. When the bats arrive, they are vastly inferior to the bats made in America. They only hit the ball HALF as far.

What does the businessman do?

He turns the situation to his advantage and orders 100,000 baseballs from the Chinese KNOWING that they will also be inferior and not be able to fly as far.

He then promotes his baseball bats and balls as the PERFECT combination for use in the backyard and makes a healthy profit.

The Coca-Cola Piggyback Lateral Thinking Example

In the late 1980’s, one in every five children under the age of five that lived in remote areas of Zambia died because of very simple causes, a significant one being dehydration caused by diarrhea. A man by the name of Simon Berry who worked for the British Aid Program put his mind to the problem.

The task at hand was to somehow organize the efficient and widespread distribution of oral rehydration salts. Transportation and road infrastructure was a disaster in Zambia at this time. Despite numerous and repeated attempts, virtually NOTHING was getting through to the people most in need. He needed to find a solution.

Simon noted something in his widespread travels throughout Zambia . . . no matter how remote the location, Coca-Cola somehow found its way there in reliable quantities. The Coca-Cola organization didn’t have formal organized methods for getting their product through. It was simply a case of the people loving the product so much that the demand found a way through.

Simon eventually created “AidPods”, which were small packages of the badly needed oral rehydration salts that neatly fitted in between the spouts and necks of the Coke bottles. Every carton of Coke delivered in rural areas included the packages. Many lives were saved.

This classic lateral thinking example is one you can easily relate to.

The Bus Stop Lateral Thinking Example

A man drives along an open, rural and exposed road on a cold, wet and windy night. As he approaches an isolated bus stop he notices that there are 3 people waiting:

• An old lady in urgent need of medical attention;
• His best mate who only recently saved his life; and
• A beautiful girl that he has been wanting to meet and ask out for a while.

He decides to stop and help out, but his car only holds the driver and one passenger. He will not overload his car. What is the best option?

In this lateral thinking classic example, the man uses the circumstances to his ULTIMATE advantage.

The man stops at the bus stop and gets out of his car. He says to his best mate “I know you are great at helping people. Please take my car and get this old lady to the hospital. I will catch the bus with this young lady and keep her safe until it comes”.

He makes a good impression with the young lady, helps his mate, and gets the old lady the help she needs.

Lateral thinking puzzles are situation puzzles that require explanation. They have multiple answers that aren’t necessarily right or wrong; instead, they’re subjectively judged on the plausibility of their explanation.

Top 100 lateral thinking puzzles.

A creative mix of NEW and CLASSIC lateral thinking situation puzzles.

“It’s party time!”

Lateral thinking tool:  “Backwards Planning”

In Australia, we have a tradition called “schoolies”. Basically, at the conclusion of their senior school education, the kids take off to one of several iconic locations to party for a solid week. Probably the most popular destination is the fabulous beaches and party atmosphere of Queensland’s famous Gold Coast.

Yes . . . this is where nightmares begin. (LOL)

To make things MUCH worse, Julie (not her real name) and her best seven friends decided to drive (in two vehicles) the entire 1,701.9 kilometers so they could “enjoy the sights”. They had no plan, thinking that they would stop and camp “wherever”.

Oh dear . . . I didn’t like the sound of that one bit.

The solution that immediately came to mind was to “backwards plan” their trip. Instead of “telling” them what they should do, I “involved” them in the process of imagining the best trip possible.

Their accommodation wouldn’t be available until midday the following Saturday.

‘Where will you spend Friday night?’ I asked, innocently. ‘So that you arrive fresh and ready to make the most of your time on the Gold Coast?’

A quick look online revealed that the scenic community of Coffs Harbour was just over a three-hour drive south, the perfect easy commute for the final leg of their journey on Saturday morning.

‘I’ll get online and book you guys a camping spot close to the beach, shall I? My treat.’

We backwards planned the entire journey. I knew where they were expected to be at every stage, and they had an achievable three to five hours driving per day which made all the parents feel a lot better about the journey.

“Lateral thinking is often about disrupting something you don’t like, to create a better outcome”

BACKWARDS PLANNING is a powerful tool of disruption that converts an intangible vision into a tangible strategy.    Learn more here.

The examples on this page are of lateral thinking in typical family situations. If you would like to see how lateral thinking can be used in more diverse and “profitable” situations, take a look at:

Lateral Thinking in the Workplace Examples

Differentiation Vs Competition – Problem Solving – Dispute Resolution – New Business Growth

Looking for … stimulation?

Lateral thinking puzzles stimulate creative and original thinking.

Stimulating lateral thinking puzzles

What exactly is lateral thinking.

MOST so-called experts use descriptions like “out of the box”. LOL. Wrong.

MOST so-called experts can’t tell you the difference between creative thinking and lateral thinking.

The real answer might surprise you.

An example of a lateral thinking game that encourages your child’s creativity 

Demonstrating the use of “backwards planning”.

“Let’s play … the backwards game”

Teach your child how to pick up their toys … and have fun doing it.

Take the child through the following steps.

Backward Step 1.

Imagine waking up in the morning, the child’s room is all neat and tidy.

(Close your eyes and imagine this)

The child goes to his/her toybox and opens it. What toy does the child MOST want to see at the top? Imagine all the toys in order of priority.

Backward Step 2.

What needs to happen just before all the toys are tidy, in the box, and in order of priority?

Close your eyes and imagine the toys all in a row, with the most in-demand toys at the front of the queue, down to the least in-demand toy being last. Can you see the long line?

Engage with your child’s imagination. Describe the long line of toys.

Backward Step 3.

What happens before all the are neatly in a line?

The child will have to choose the order they are in by imagining which toys she/he will want to play with the next day.

Engage with your child’s imagination. Let the child imagine how much fun it will be to have all their toys waiting in line.

Backward Step 4.

What happens before the child chooses the order of the toys?

All the toys will need to be collected from around the house.

Engage with your child’s imagination. Let the child imagine having all their toys that belong in the toybox all together to choose from.

Okay, your child has a powerful imagination … all children do. If you’ve put in the right ingredients, the child is now ready to  move forward.

Forward Step 1.

“Let’s round up all the toys for the toybox and make sure we have all the pieces together”

You’ll notice a change of attitude because the task has turned from a chore … to a game.

Forward Step 2.

“Which toy do you first want to see when you wake up in the morning and open your toybox?”

Let the child choose.

“Okay, what is the second toy you want to see?”

Let the child have fun putting the toys in order.

Forward Step 3.

“Well done. Let’s put the toys into the toybox in reverse order. The least-needed toy first.”

My parents played this game with me as a child and the powerful memories of “backwards planning” remain with me to this day.

Check out even more really fun ways to engage your child’s natural creativity through lateral thinking here … Lateral thinking games for children

An example of lateral thinking to differentiate

Demonstrating “challenge existing concepts”.

“Why … is competition bad?”

A real example of lateral thinking being applied within the advertising industry

A chain of auto wreckers invited our advertising agency to competitively pitch for their business.

THE BRIEF: Make their advertising and branding more effective against strong competition.

The “normal” advertising agency procedure in these circumstances is to “answer the brief” … to compete for the clients’ business.

“Competition reduces profits … so try to differentiate instead”

The wreckers spent an awful lot of money promoting themselves … car, bike, and truck racing, signage, auto magazines, like-minded social media, and online activities. They tried to have a substantial or dominating influence in nearly every media typically frequented by their target audience that was extremely sensitive to PRICE!

“They were heavily competing for a small market and making very little money”

So. instead of answering their brief, we challenged the way they were doing business …

“ Why … do you compete so heavily for such a limited market?”

The question intrigued them.

The wreckers told us that a high-quality used part usually sold for about a third to a half of the price of the new equivalent … competition had driven the prices to record lows.

Instead of competing with other wreckers, we asked if it might be possible to position them as if competing with NEW parts sellers instead … to recreate their image/brand as an “alternative to a new parts” retailer.

Three months later:

Customers walked into clean retail showrooms that featured “specials” and “projects”. They were professionally served by people with clean hands and clothes. Most of the smaller items even came in new packaging. Prices were much higher than that of other wreckers.

It turned out to be a huge success.

Our advertising agency would always challenge preconceptions when pitching for new business.

It was a strategy that didn’t always win the business … but when we did win, we won it in a non-competitive environment (which allowed us to charge whatever we liked LOL).

Our profits were very high, and so too were the profits of clients that employed our strategies.

CHALLENGING EXISTING CONCEPTS is something the “experts” rarely do. Learn more here.

Plot development – Writer’s block – New twists – Keep your reader on the edge of their seat.

Disruptive lateral thinking strategies for authors and writers

What is creativity?

“Creativity is merely a process of combining things that already exist in new and original ways.”

The painter who creates a masterpiece has merely combined existing colors and materials in a new way.

The composer …

The poet …

The sculptor …

Sure, some people combine things better than others LOL.

“Creative thinking” needn’t be intimidating. It’s merely the combining of things that already exist, in new and original ways.

Lateral thinking … is a strategy of disruption that frees you from blinkered viewpoints to open your mind to new and original combinations.

“Lateral thinking literally makes creative-thinking Rembrandts out of beginners”

Management – personal development – training – family – school.

14 lessons of about 10 minutes each.

The lessons are 100% free, there is nothing to buy … click here.

A lateral thinking example of changing minds

Demonstrating the use of  “po”.

(Provocative Operation)

“Let’s get naked!”

A real example of lateral thinking getting me my own way LOL

I was at a gathering of good friends.

It had been awesome catching up with everyone, the evening had been a huge success, but the restaurant was closing. Everyone seemed to be focused on saying goodnight.

I didn’t want the night to end, so I decided to perform a provocative operation.

“Let’s go skinny-dipping in the river and cool off”

(Ha, ha, yes, I really said that … in the middle of a very cold Melbourne winter LOL.)

So, what happened?

• It focused everyone’s attention towards continuing the night’s festivities;
• Several people made excellent suggestions, none of which involved getting naked LOL; and
• Most of us partied on at a new venue.

The original suggestion of skinny-dipping in the middle of winter was a silly suggestion. It was all about changing an outcome I didn’t want.

“Sometimes disruptive creativity is all about taking a situation you aren’t happy with … and changing it”

Provocations can be nonsensical, funny, stupid, impractical, not sensible, business-minded, politically correct, or just plain daft. Oh, and they can be a lot of fun!

(See: PROVOCATIVE OPERATIONS, or “po” , for a deeper understanding)

• What exactly  is lateral thinking?
• Lateral thinking ‘situation’ puzzles to inspire your creativity.

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