Out of the Blocks with Lateral Thinking™
What do you do when faced by a difficult problem?
In many organisations, the only technique used to try to generate fresh thinking and new ideas is ‘the brainstorm’. Results from brainstorming sessions are often disappointing for all concerned. Then, you also have to work out how to deal with mental blocks.
The truth is that we all get blocked sometimes, and when we can’t think of how to solve our difficulties it can be very frustrating. It doesn’t help to get mad or to pretend that your problems don’t exist. At such times you need new thinking to help you, and that’s why creative problem-solving techniques such as lateral thinking are in high demand.
A way of approaching Lateral Thinking™ is to recognise that this is a proven skill that you can learn, and which helps you see things from a new perspective. Here’s an example from the creator of the technique, Edward de Bono, which helps to illustrate its principles:
In this example, a girl is being gambled by her father against a heavy debt that he has run up. If she draws a white pebble from a bag containing one white and one black pebble, she is freed. If, however, she draws a black pebble, she becomes the property of the merchant to whom her father owes the money. The problem is that the merchant has sneaked two black pebbles into the bag – and the girl knows this. She is trapped, or so it seems.
Happily, Lateral Thinking™ offers a way out of this dilemma; it refuses to accept the assumed rules of the game. What it proposes is that the girl pulls out, but then clumsily drops and ‘loses’ the first pebble. Then she simply points to the second pebble in the bag which is black, declaring that the first pebble she drew out of the bag must have been white. In this way, she frees herself.
What this example shows us is that lateral thinking requires us to develop the ability to stand back, see the bigger picture and challenge our assumptions. If executed correctly, it promises that we might find our way around what can feel like intractable problems.
So far, so good! Don’t panic – there a number of specific techniques available to help your people with idea generation, challenge existing thinking or just to develop practical ‘out-of-the-box thinking’. One of these is called ‘PO’.
‘PO’ is a term coined by de Bono which stands for ‘provocative operation’; it is specifically designed to help problem solvers who need to generate new perspectives and ideas. The emphasis on provocation is key here, because ‘PO’ recognises that we typically need help to get out of our linear thinking mode.
So, how does it work? If you have a facilitator or meeting leader they will make radical statements that, at first, appear absurd. However, the listener will understand that ‘PO’ is deliberately meant to be radical, accepts these ‘left-field’ ideas and considers what new perspectives they throw on their problem. Typical ‘PO’ statements can be generated by exaggerating, distorting or turning the current situation on its head, and they should be designed to shock. As an example, you could make a ‘PO’ statement: “We shouldn’t have customers”. The statement may seem economic suicide, but it should provoke a discussion about other ways in which to think about customers; for example as partners, friends or even as employees.
The ways you can scrutinise ‘PO’ statements are also vital here. Some of the ways to think about radical ‘PO’ statements are to ask what the costs or benefits of the provocation might be. People might also need to consider what is required to make the ‘PO’ statement a reality, or consider what beliefs would need to be in place to support it.
The principle to remember here is that when you are trying to break out of fixed thinking, there are a number of Lateral Thinking™ techniques available. ‘PO’ is just one of these. It helps you to look at the problem from a completely different perspective. Other techniques such as developing alternative ideas, defining your focus, challenging accepted ways of thinking and even using completely random ideas to open up new lines of thinking are also all proven ways to develop Lateral Thinking.
Since creativity is a skill than can be learnt, here are a couple of creativity-related questions we’d like to pose to you:
“Why bother with creativity? And;
Could the risks outweigh the benefits?”
One answer to the first one is that an organisation is like a finely tuned engine: made up of many different components all working toward the goal of making the organisation a success. Your people, processes, creativity, fresh thinking and idea generation are all components. Of course, all engines can be modified to make them work more effectively. Training works very well for this. But creativity, fresh thinking and idea generation are the turbo charge to make your customers sit up and notice you, your people will feel a part of something good and, overall, the bottom line improves.
Creativity should never be regarded as a ‘nice to have’. It needs to be recognised that helping people to understand the creative process, giving them practical tools and techniques and then creating a culture that actively supports innovation, are all necessary if organisations are to make the most of their people.
The answer to the second question is possibly more complex. Many people are rightly concerned that too much creativity in an organisation is likely to lead to a kind of corporate anarchy – an environment too rich in ideas and too poor in action. Certainly that is a risk, but that should only set people thinking about how to manage the process, not how to stop it.
Our experience of working in this area has led us to the conclusion that, when properly introduced, increasing the skills and understanding of the creative process can allow organisations to tap into the vast reservoir of creative potential contained in its people. Our trainers are experts in the creative process. We have trainers who have trained and worked with Edward de Bono and Tony Buzan and our programmes have been developed through a profound understanding of how the creative process actually works.
We have put together a range of creativity courses and workshops that may well suit your needs precisely. If not we would be happy to discuss tailoring a course to meet your requirements. Find out more here…
Tags: Creative problem solving, Creative thinking techniques, Creativity and Innovation, February/March 2008 (Creativity and Innovation), Lateral Thinking™ (Training), Provocative Operation (de Bono technique)
