Lateral Thinking

De Bono's lateral thinking approach uses deliberate changes of perspective, assumptions, and associations to generate alternatives. It complements evaluation rather than replacing logical reasoning.

Lateral thinking names de Bono's approach to generating alternatives by changing an established pattern of interpretation. A reversal, an unexpected cue, or a challenge to an assumption can expose a route that deeper analysis of the original formulation would not consider. Such moves produce candidates; they do not establish that the original framing was wrong or that the new idea is feasible.

Choose the move in relation to the blockage. If every proposed solution assumes a customer must visit a place, question that condition rather than introducing random stimuli indefinitely. Translate an unusual connection into a concrete proposal, restore the real constraints, and evaluate it. Direct analysis and lateral exploration can complement one another; some tasks simply need a known solution executed carefully.

When to use it

When analytical approaches have been exhausted without finding a solution; when a problem seems intractable within current framing; when innovation is needed beyond incremental improvement; when teams are locked into one way of thinking about a challenge.

How it can help

Select a bounded technique such as reversal or assumption challenge, develop a concrete candidate, and test it against the real requirements. No technique guarantees that a new direction will emerge.