Brainstorming, in its essence, involves the use of what is called lateral thinking to come up with new, out of the box solutions to problems. This type of thinking has been around almost as long as man has but only recently has the term been coined for use in brainstorming. In the modern era, the phrase was first used by Dr. Edward de Bono in 1967 in a book called “The Use of Lateral Thinking”. His definition of this brainstorming term is very complex, but basically the goal of lateral thinking is to creatively and totally break out of conventional patterns of thinking.

Conventional thinking, or vertical thinking, is what we use more than 99 percent of the time. It almost always prevents effective brainstorming. It is the opposite of lateral thinking. When confronted with a problem all of us have preconceived rational, logical ways of coming up with a solution. Using deductive logic we pare away all those things that don’t apply to the problem. Step by linear step we go from problem to solution. We apply conventional standards of right and wrong along the way. Usually we also inject a heavy dose of what is called “common sense”. The solution that we come up with is usually conventional, dry, predictable, societally determined and often simply doesn’t work. Because the problems we deal with are usually the results of our individual or societal way of thinking using that same thinking to generate a solution often just makes things worse. As Dr. de Bono has said, “You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper”.

So how do we break out of the box and start thinking laterally? It isn’t as easy as it sounds. The psychological inertia created by vertical thinking is extremely difficult to redirect. However, there are several brainstorming techniques that have been developed specifically to stimulate lateral thinking.

Fractionation is a brainstorming method that takes a problem and divides it into fractions or segments. The individual parts to the problem are then considered separately. The segments don’t need to make sense or be logical. Segments can also overlap. The idea is to breakdown the individual segments laterally rather than take on the complete problem all at once. We want to avoid the mental rut of facing the entire problem all at once. Once the individual segments are considered they can be pieced back together much like a patchwork quilt. The solutions created in this way are often radical, beautiful and very effective.

Reversal is another way to stimulate lateral thinking while brainstorming. Consider the situation as the reverse or opposite of what it is. If the problem suddenly didn’t exist what would things be like? Problems often exist because of the perspective that we take. So take on the opposite perspective and see what it looks like from there. Often a breakthrough to a solution will occur by using this brainstorming method.

Another lateral thinking method is to use analogies. An analogy is an almost identical situation that is just different enough to trigger or jar you into a different way of looking at the original problem.

Random provocation is a brainstorming method used in particularly stubborn cases. It is literally a word play game where you throw out random single words from almost any source. The words don’t have to be relevant to the issue at hand. The idea is to jolt you off your track and force you to think laterally.

None of these methods of brainstorming is easy. But this should not come as a surprise, since lateral thinking tries to change the way we think.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to brainstorming-guide.com/ Brainstorming

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