Bibliographical References:
De Bono E., Serious Creativity Using the Power Lateral Thinking to Create New Ideas , The
McQuaig Group, 1992 (trad. it. Severo Mosca, Essere Creativi. Come far nascere nuove idee con le tecniche del pensiero laterale , Milano, Edizioni Il Sole 24 ORE, 1998).
Class: A
Phase: Creative process
Application field:
-
-
-
Projects: to analyze intermediate focus linked to the project under discussion
Standing off situations
Planning
Assumptions: This technique assumes that maybe there are better, or anyway different, ways to do something.
Pros: This technique can be useful to find alternative and better way of performing, discarding the idea that the better solution is always and necessarily the one providing continuity with the past
Cons: if this technique is not used properly, there may be the risk of focusing on the real explanations motivating the selection of a present procedure, without moving forward to find alternative solutions. Another risk could be to attack with criticism the whole present system without providing alternative solutions.
Description:
The creative challenge is one of the most important processes of lateral thinking: it is not an attack, a criticism or a way to demonstrate that the status quo is inadequate, but it is a challenge to
“uniqueness”, an explorative research of other possible solutions.
Usually the creative challenge starts with a question: Why do we perform this thing in this way? but the aim is not to find the real explanations: this question is needed simply to discard the idea that the present way to do a thing is the only one possible.
Once launched the creative challenge, the next step consists in seeking alternative methods to perform. The creative challenge consists, therefore, of three steps:
1.
Block: if the present way of doing is prevented, we are forced to find a new method;
2.
Escape: consciously we get rid of the bonds and constraints of the present method of doing things. In other terms, we free our mind from the dominant ideas in order to examine other possibilities;
3.
Desertion: the usual way of doing things is abandoned. In particular, it may be found that the entire procedure was useless or that simply the methods used to implement it were ineffective.
The challenge may concern the factors influencing the way of thinking: dominant concepts, assumptions, constraints, essential factors, factors to be avoided, dichotomous polarizations. With this technique it is possible to directly analyze these elements to ascertain whether they are really necessary or not.
For instance, it is useful to be aware of the assumptions, in order to critically select some of them,

narrowing the range to the sole necessary. Also polarizations, it is to say the constrained dichotomies in two extreme solutions, can be challenged enquiring whether they constitute the unique possible solution or not.
Creative challenge questions also “continuity”, which means the habit to operate in a certain way today for the sole reason that also in the past it was done so. Continuity persistence can be due to the following reasons:

Negligence: we don’t try to seek another better way of doing a thing, if this thing does not constitute a contingent problem.

Links: often we do a thing to satisfy someone (clients, customers, retailers, dealers, chiefs, etc.) or to conform to an imposition (i.e. maybe procedural modifications are not compatible with the present informative system). Or, in addition, strength points, style or reputation may constitute constraints.

Uncritical complacence: recurrent past successes inhibit afterthoughts and the discarding or questioning of past concepts’ present value.

Temporal succession: this analysis aims to discard concepts and ideas, which are still surviving simply for historical continuity sake.
Related techniques: Alternatives seeking
Concepts fan
Arguments: Il pensiero laterale (Capitolo 3)
Le tecniche advanced (Capitolo 11, Paragrafo 4.3)

Bibliographical References:
De Bono E., Serious Creativity Using the Power Lateral Thinking to Create New Ideas , The
McQuaig Group, 1992 (trad. it. Severo Mosca, Essere Creativi. Come far nascere nuove idee con le tecniche del pensiero laterale , Milano, Edizioni Il Sole 24 ORE, 1998).
Class: A
Phase: Creative process
Application field:
- Improvement
Simple problems
Projects
General strategy
Planning Processes
Assumptions: this technique assumes:
- the capability to stop and seek alternatives also when it is apparently not so necessary, or when the next step is logical and feasible.
- the capability to be engaged in the seeking of alternative routes, instead of be satisfied with the ones already found;
- the capability to “project and plan” new alternatives, thus modifying instead of simply analyzing the present situation.
Pros:
Cons : clearness and specificity are required in defining the fix point.
Description:
Alternatives seeking is another fundamental process of lateral thinking and constitutes the real essence of creativity.
Even when we come up with an idea, that we consider as definitive, we should always ask ourselves whether there is another better solution, trying to investigate not only “reasonable” alternatives, but also considering the most provocative ones.
It is important to define the so called “fix point” to which refer the alternatives. In this case, the question to ask is: “Alternatives as regards which aspect?”. Usually, for each given situation, it is possible to define a lot of fix points and then, for each of them, to seek the alternatives. The “fix point” can be:
- an aim: Which are the methods to achieve a given objective? Which are the methods to develop a given function? The “fix point” represents the achievement of the objective.
Example : Fix point: “light the fire”. Alternatives: “matches”, “lighter”, “to scratch two pieces of wood”, “use a lens to concentrate sun rays”.
- a group: it may be used as fix point the name of a group or a list of specifications. Alternatives seeking consists, in this case, in finding elements belonging to that group or meeting those requirements.
Example : which is the alternative to an orange? Fix point (group): “fruits for domestic consumption”. Alternatives: “apple”, “pear”, “banana”, etc. Or it is possible to select as fix point the group “fruits from a citrus tree”: in this latter case, the alternatives will be “lemon”, “grapefruit” and “mandarin”.

- an analogy: indeed, an analogy is simply a particular way to specify a group. In this case, it is necessary to distinguish between physical analogy and perceived analogy.
Example : which other leaves are similar to this one? Which other painters depict with a style similar to this one?
- a concept: indeed, fix points are in their selves concepts. Starting from an idea, it is possible to arrive to the concept originating that idea and then other ways to realize that concept are sought.
Ideas describe the operative way to do something; concepts refer to the implicit general method.
Example : a concept is “ go through a street”. The related ideas are: “by walk”, “by bicycle”, “by car”, “by bus”, etc.
Related techniques: Creative challenge
Argument: Il pensiero laterale (Capitolo 3)
Le tecniche advanced (Capitolo 11, Paragrafo 4.3)

Bibliographical References:
De Bono E., Serious Creativity Using the Power Lateral Thinking to Create New Ideas , The
McQuaig Group, 1992 (trad. it. Severo Mosca, Essere Creativi. Come far nascere nuove idee con le tecniche del pensiero laterale , Milano, Edizioni Il Sole 24 ORE, 1998).
Class: A
Phase: Creative process
Application field:
Improvement/tasks: to deeply examine an on-going thing or the methods used commonly to deal with a task. In fact, this technique can underline a relevant concept and then the attention can shift on the methods to realize operatively that concept.
Problems: this technique is used in case a considerable creative effort is necessary;
Projects;
Forecasting of future trends;
Strategy
Pros: it is a very systematic method, which proceeds step-by-step and lets emerge a lot of new fix points
Cons : sometimes this technique let emerge ideas, which may be useful but not always innovative.
Description:
Concepts fan is an elaborate system for seeking alternatives by means of concepts, which constitute a series of fix points: each of them will be the basis for a subsequent seeking. It is particularly useful for the so called “realizing thinking”, which entails the solution of a problem or the execution of a task.
This technique is based on the principle of “doing a step backwards”: starting from an aim, we move back reaching to general concepts or “directions” to be taken to achieve the goal. Then, starting from the “directions”, we move again back reaching to other “concepts” or means to follow those directions: in other words, each general concept or “direction” becomes the fix point to seek alternative “concepts”. Finally, from concepts we go back again and we find the “ideas”, which are the operative ways to realize concepts.
Concepts fan is constituted, therefore, by three levels:
- Directions : the most general concepts occurring.
- Concepts : general methods to do something.
- Ideas : operative and specific methods to realize a concept.
Procedure example:
1.
A circle is drawn in the middle of a big sheet and inside this circle the problem requiring a solution is written. For example, a problem could be “Clean local beach” (yellow circle in
Fig. X );
2.
On the right of the circle lines are drawn, representing possible solutions to the problem
(pink lines in Fig. X ). In the considered example:
Problem: Clean local beach.

Ideas: Filter sea water;
Litter patrols on the beach;
Fig. X
– Diagram of phases 1-2
Source : www.mycoted.com
3.
It is possible that the obtained ideas are not feasible or that they do not solve really the problem. If this is the case, the principle of “doing a step backwards” is applied to a wider problem analysis. According to this, another circle is drawn on the left of the first one and a wider definition of the given problem is written inside of it. This new circle (green) is linked to the first one by an arrow, in order to demonstrate that it is derived from it ( Fig.
X ).
Initial problem: clean local beach;
Widened problem: control pollution entering the sea;
Fig. X – Diagram of phases 1-2-3
Source : www.mycoted.com
4.
This new circle will be used as starting point to generate new ideas. If solutions are not found, another step back could be done (and so on) until a “winning idea” is reached.
It is important to be able to play with “concepts”. These are expressed in general and indefinite terms and they have to be realized by means of a specific “idea”. The aim is to be able to generate other ideas.
Sometimes concepts are directly created. Sometimes it is more useful to go up from an idea to the hidden concept, in order to find better solutions.
There are “target” concepts, referring to what it is striven to do; other concepts, instead, describe the mechanism enabling to realize the desired effects; other ones, finally, refer to value and to the way in which this latter is created.
Related techniques: Creative challenge

Argument: Il pensiero laterale (Capitolo 3)
Le tecniche advanced (Capitolo 11, Paragrafo 4.3)