LATERAL THINKING

TECHNIQUES
LT - basics
The most basic principle
of LT is that any
particular way of looking
at things is only one from
many other possible
ways.
 Are we
all
receivin
g the
same
messag
e????
 Is it an
old man
or a
kissing
couple?
 LT Technique 1
GENERATION OF ALTERNATIVES.
In the natural search for alternatives
one is looking for the best possible
approach.
In the Lateral search for alternatives
one is trying to produce as many
alternatives as possible. DELIBERATE.
 Generation of Alternatives

QUOTA

A fixed number of alternative ways of

looking at a solution.
Advantage: Even if the solution is

successful in early stages one

acknowledges it and continues
generating more ( Not captured by it)
Advantage : To make one put effort to

generate alternatives.
 Exercise
Alternate Descriptions
 Exercise
Alternate Descriptions
Alternatives

Two Overlapping Squares

Three squares

Two L shapes embracing a square

shape

A rectangle divided into half with

two pieces pushed out of line.
Alternatives
 ALTERNATE STATEMENT
Getting to COLLEGE on
time can be challenging.

There is nothing more

exciting than thinking of
a new idea.
LT Technique 2
CHALLENGING THE ASSUMPTIONS
MADE
Sometimes a problem cannot be
solved by trying different
arrangement of the given pieces
but only by reexamination of the
pieces themselves.
Challenging the
Assumptions
 This might sound like cheating it reveals
the use of certain assumed boundary.
Challenging the
assumptions
In problem solving one always
assumes certain boundaries for
ease.

These boundaries do not and need

not exist. Because the boundaries
are self imposed.
 Challenging the
assumptions
Example : Vegetable vendor saying
brinjals for Rs.5

Planting four trees equidistant from each

other.
Four Equidistant trees
 LT Technique 3
Why Technique- a deliberate technique
Usually when why is asked the answer
should be able to express something
unfamiliar in terms of familiar terms
Lateral use of Why: why is asked when
one knows the answer but the familiar
terms are questioned
Why?

The intention is to create

discomfort in any
explanation
 Example
Obvious question such as Why are blackboards Black?

Because otherwise they would not be called black
boards.
Because otherwise you would not see what is written.

There is a very natural tendency to say

because. Such st. put a full stop to the thought
process.
The whole point of Lateral Why is to avoid
feeling that anything is so obvious that it merits
a because. Nothing is Sacred
 ASK WHY?
WHY DO WE COME TO COLLEGE?
WHY ARE NOTEBOOKS SQUARE OR
RECTANGULAR?
 LT Technique 4
SUSPENDED JUDGEMENT
The purpose of thinking is not to be
RIGHT but to be EFFECTIVE.
Being effective eventually involves

being right.
Our mind is a self maximizing one _

selection, rejection, combination etc., -

Clich making This need is met by
DELAY IN JUDGEMENT.
 Uses of Suspended
judgement
An idea will survive longer and will
breed further ideas.

Ideas which are judged to be wrong

within the current frame of reference
may survive long enough to show that
the frame of reference need altering.
Uses of Suspended
judgement
Some ideas are obviously wrong
even when no attempt at judgement
is made In such cases one shifts
attention from why it is wrong to
how it can be useful.
Even though u know the idea has to
be thrown out you spend some more
time in it to extract as much
usefulness from the idea as possible.
 LT Technique 5
Dominant ideas and crucial factors.
It is easy to develop alternatives in a
square. Real world problems are much
more complex.
Unless one can convert a vague

awareness to a definite pattern it is

extremely difficult to generate alternative
patterns alternative ways of looking at
situations.
Problems cannot be solved by
thinking within the framework
within which the problems
were created - Albert Einstein.
Dominant ideas and
crucial factors.
Each situation will have a dominant
idea organizing theme.
The dominant idea resides not in
the situation, but in the way it is
looked at.
The main purpose of picking out the
dominant idea is to be able to
escape from it.
 Dominant idea

A B A

Even if we produce alternatives it might

be within the framework only when we
are aware of the framework can we
escape out of it.
 Dominant idea
It is not a matter of analysing the situation
but of seeing it clearly enough to be able to
generate different points of view.
Example Apple picking machine
D. idea For children Reaching
D. idea for adults effectiveness in
commercial terms.

There may be a lot of dominant ideas in a

situation. Including the whole subject or part of it.
Crucial Factors.
A crucial factor is some element of
the situation which must always be
included no matter how one
looks at the situation.
The purpose of isolating crucial
factors is to examine them.
Ex: Space requirements we
examine them to find out how best
they could be manipulated.
Dominant ideas and
crucial factors.
D. Idea one wants to know Why
are we always looking at this thing
in the same way?
In Crucial Factors one wants to
know What is holding us up, What
is keeping us to this old approach?
These are steps in seeing the
pattern of thought process.
 L. Technique 6
FRACTIONATION
If one takes any situation and breaks
it down into fractions one can then
restructure the situation by putting
the fractions together in a new way.

It is not that u split the situation

into its component parts but TRY
TO CREATE PARTS .
 Fractionation method

Two unit division

If the WHOLE is difficult

to separate the whole
could be seperated as
2, and then the 2 could
be further divided into
2 and so on.
 Two Unit division
Example : Apple Picking Machine
damaging
delicate
damaged
Apple
finding
separate
Apple density
Picking hold
Problem remove
jerk
To ground
container
 FRACTIONATION
Ex. Apple Picking machine
1. Reaching 1. Contribution of tree
2. Finding to apple picking
3. Picking 2. Contribution of
4. Transport to apples to apple
the ground picking
5. Undamaged 3. Contribution of
apples machine to apple
picking
Solution : Shaking tree Solution : Growing the trees
(1,2,3) in a special way that would
make easy plucking.
Canvas platform
(4,5)
Fractionation
If the fractions created does not
cover the whole that does not
matter
Also if the fractions created
overlap no probs
Eg. Transport by bus
Fractionation
Choice of Bus
Frequency
Convenience
Number of people using the service
Number of people using the service at
different times
Size of bus
Alternative transport.
 Fractionation Practice.
Group of 3

Cleaning the campus.

Organising a cultural program
Suggest a subject for essay competition
Selling vegetables

Work separately then combine and pick out

fractions and come out with a solution.
 L. Technique 7
The Reversal Method.
Wherever a direction is indicated the
opposite direction is equally well defined.
Ex. If u fill something, u empty something.
one takes things as they are and then turns
them round, inside out, upside down, back
to front. Then one sees what happens.
A provocative rearrangement of
information.
Different types of Reversal
Several different ways possible No
one correct way.
Ex. The teacher teaches the
students.
The students teach the teacher.
The teacher confuses the students.
Either reversal will do. Until one can
prove its usefulness by working further
both are good enough to provocate by
the arrangement of information.
Example explanation
In the first sentence - The
students teach the teacher.
An interactive class
Need for efficient teachers
Every student does teach a
teacher, how does the teacher
react or respond to this
Example explanation
In the second sentence The
teacher confuses the students.
Question teachers ability.
Question teachers receptivity.
Is self learning a better practice?
Are facilities good enough for self
learning.
Other ways of learning.
 Purpose of the reversal
method
To escape from the absolute necessity to
look at the situation in the standard way.
By disrupting the original way of looking
at the situation one frees information
that can come together in a new way.
To overcome the terror of being wrong,
of taking a step that is not fully justified.
One moves to a new position and then
sees what happens.
Practice in class

Going on a holiday.