Lateral Thinking: The Tool Kit of Patter Breaking Idea Generating Tools
If an opportunity doesn't knock,
build a door. At DuPont lateral thinking tools led to an employee's
suggestion that eliminated nine steps in the Kevlar manufacturing
process. The savings--$30.0 million.
"If you haven't heard of Edward de Bono
or of Lateral Thinking, perhaps you have been too busy thinking in
conventional ways."--Forbes
Lateral Thinking
Solving problems in unconventional ways--a way of
thinking which seeks solutions through unorthodox methods that would
normally be ignored by logical thinking. de Bono wrote this classic book
in the 1970's. de Bono Thinking Systems, Inc. launched the course in
1994. Lynda Curtin was certified by de Bono in 1994 during the launch of
this course.
Strengthen your creative and
innovative performance by learning specific tools to:
Participate in the best ideation sessions.
Jolt your group out of ho-hum, same old, dead-end
thinking.
Recognize, and know how to work with: concepts,
specific ideas, beginning ideas, and arising provocations. If you
can master this, your groups will love you.
Generate and use concepts as a springboard to more
and more ideas.
Develop and use provocations as surprising pathways
to useful new ideas.
Develop sharper focus statements to stimulate
productive creative effort.
Harvest idea output to glean more value from your
ideation work.
Shape ideas to be workable within relevant
constraints; ensure they are receivable.
"I
have found there are 3 basic pillars supporting creativity and
innovation: the Osborn/Parnes problem solving model, and Dr. Edward de
Bono's Six Thinking Hats and Lateral Thinking tool kits. This is where
you should start. Lynda Curtin is the right person to do this training."--Roland
Boose, Nestle USA Prepared Foods Division
You can learn this powerful
creative thinking process.
Not only people who devise strategy or work in R & D, but anyone who
wants a disciplined process for innovation, idea generation, concept
development, creative problem solving, or a strategy to challenge the
status quo can benefit from learning how to become a Lateral Thinker. If you face fast-changing trends, fierce competition, and the need to
work miracles, you need Lateral Thinking.
The tools stand the test of time.
de Bono wrote the book in the mid 1970's. It's one thing to read the
book--intellectual understanding. It's quite another to be able to do
something--skill building. de Bono Thinking Systems expert senior
leader, Lynda Curtin, will work with you to help you move from knowing
about Lateral Thinking to being able to use the Lateral Thinking
creative process and tools exactly when you need to. Lynda was certified
by Edward de Bono in 1994. She has lots of client lateral thinking
experience and insights to share with you.
"By
the end of this year we will have doubled our business since our creative
thinking session with you (Lynda), and we are 60% of the way to the goal.
It's almost time to raise the bar!- Dan Weare, National Business Manager
Lateral Thinking Workshop Options:
Executive Deep Dive into
Lateral Thinking. An intense hands-on three-day de Bono Innovation
event. We will work on your business challenges. Lynda was certified by
Edward de Bono in 1994 in Lateral Thinking. She has lots of relevant
experience to share with you.
Two-day workshop: application
based which will drive the tools covered.
Additional Workshop Option: Focus on
Facilitation--How to Lead Productive Thinking Together Meetings to
Deliver Remarkable Results
Background: Many people used to attend Lateral
Thinking
training because they really wanted to learn how to use the tools to facilitate
productive ideation meetings. The Lateral Thinking workshop wasn't
designed to teach ideation facilitation skills, not to mention, ideation
facilitation requires additional thinking tools not included in the
Lateral Thinking method.
Clients knew this and kept asking for more
in-depth ideation facilitation training using de Bono Thinking Systems
methods. So, de Bono Thinking Systems, Inc. retained the services of
Lynda Curtin to apply her facilitation expertise along with her
expertise in applying de Bono methods--Six Thinking
Hats, Lateral Thinking, and CoRT Tools to develop a de Bono
facilitation course.
Focus on Facilitation is the result. If your need is to develop
powerful ideation facilitation skills--the ability to facilitate the
thinking that needs to take place in meetings, in order for groups to
arrive at robust solutions, plan to attend Focus on Facilitation
training.
Lateral Thinking Tools are Perfect For
Groups in need of fresh new
thinking.
Solving problems in ways that
don't initially come to mind.
Companies with an
“innovation” initiative in need of tools that actually work.
Executives feeling the heat.
Same old, same old just isn't working anymore.
Teams frustrated with old
predicable ideas that keep surfacing in their creative thinking
meetings.
Professionals in the new idea
development business — R&D, PD, marketing, advertising.
Scientists and engineers who
need systematic tools to break open their thinking.
Check out
case studies and articles. Learn more from great companies like ABB, HP,
Nestle, and Boeing. Click
to read
The Creative Thinking Process with Lateral Thinking Tools
Focus Tools:
Select planning tools to help prepare for creative and innovative thinking
sessions.
Current thinking checklist — screen for areas of opportunity.
Constructively challenge the status quo to enable new ideas to
surface.
Creative hit list — work with one to make creativity an everyday
activity.
Multiple focus statements — generate from many different angles
to uncover where to focus for ideas.
Redefine the problem — identify many different problem
definitions to help determine where to focus for ideas.
Design the creative session agenda — select focus statement/s,
decide which tools to use, plan for timing.
Guidelines for a formal creative session.
Idea Generating Tools:
A robust variety of idea generating tools from which to choose.
Alternatives: Top-of-the-head brain dump. There are always
alternatives and we can train ourselves to look for them.
Concept Triangle/Fan: An inexhaustible idea generation tool.
Extract concepts from ideas and use them as springboards to more
ideas. This tool alone will greatly improve the idea output of your
creative sessions.
Random Entry: An idea generating tool that jolts you out of
ho-hum, same-old, dead-end thinking. Connections start to pop that
result in exciting new ideas.
Provocation--PO: Four different ways to set up provocations in
order to move forward to new idea territory. When you're really
stuck this is the tool to use.
Challenge: How to constructively challenge the status
quo to uncover practical new ideas. It's a great structured process
for thinking outside the box.
Idea Sorting Tool:
This tool that enables teams to quickly organize their idea
output into a framework for action.
Harvesting: How to manage your idea output for long term value.
Select ideas to build on right away. Identify ideas to work on
later. Expand your list of concepts for future consideration.
Determine the nature of the ideas generated to help you move towards
different kinds of ideas next time — break patterns.
Idea Building Tools:
Now it's time to work with one idea at a time. Build on an
idea to see if it can be made viable. Very often articulated ideas
haven't been explored in any detail and they get killed too early in
the process — at the idea-generating step.
Tremendous potential is discarded.
Treatment: Can the idea be made to work within real-life
constraints? How can it be strengthened? Can it be tailored to work
within resources available? What weaknesses need to be overcome?
Assessment: Checklists and assessment questions that take into
consideration corporate alignment, risk, fit, power, etc.
Implementation and Change
Management Tools: Organizations have in place project
management and change management methods that work very well. Our
process likely overlaps with your internal assessment tools. You
will want to incorporate your assessment tools and use your own
project management method for implementation.
Four Ways You Can Learn de
Bono Thinking Systems Lateral Thinking™ Tools and Creativity Process:
Attend a
Lateral Thinking™ Seminar
Book Lynda to lead a customized
Lateral Thinking™ de Bono Innovation event for your organization. Call 818-507-6055
for details.
Book Lynda to lead a Lateral
Thinking™ instructor certification train-the-trainer event at your company.
Develop a group of your own expert trainers that will train your
internal clients. Call 818-507-6055 to discuss details.
