Lateral thinking. Parallel thinking. Creativity. Innovation. These aren’t just buzzwords. They’re tools teams can use to approach problems from fresh angles and arrive at better decisions—especially in complex or fast-changing environments.

🔍 What Is Lateral Thinking?

The term lateral thinking was coined by Dr. Edward de Bono in 1967. It’s defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as:

“A way of thinking which seeks the solution to problems through unorthodox methods, or elements which would normally be ignored by logical thinking.”

Put simply, lateral thinking encourages looking at things from new perspectives rather than relying solely on step-by-step logic. It’s an attitude supported by techniques that break patterns and generate fresh ideas.

Example: A logistics team struggling with delivery delays challenged their assumptions by reordering warehouse pick times—an idea that surfaced using lateral thinking techniques. The change cut delivery errors by 30% in one month.

🤝 What Is Parallel Thinking?

Also developed by Dr. de Bono, parallel thinking is a group method where everyone focuses in the same direction at the same time. Instead of arguing positions, the team explores a topic collectively—but in stages. It’s the foundation of the well-known Six Thinking Hats framework.

Each hat represents a different thinking style—facts, feelings, caution, optimism, creativity, and process—allowing groups to separate types of thinking and reduce conflict while enhancing collaboration.

💡 Creativity vs. Innovation

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they serve different purposes:

• Creativity is the ability to generate novel ideas by deliberately stepping outside traditional patterns of thought.
• Innovation is applying those creative ideas in a way that leads to real-world solutions or improvements.

For example:

• Creativity: "It would be nice to check emails on the go."
• Innovation: Building the BlackBerry so people can actually do it.

🧠 How to Use These Concepts in a Workshop

If you're running a session on problem solving or decision making, you can use the Six Thinking Hats to structure group discussions, or introduce lateral thinking triggers (like random word associations) to shake up rigid thinking patterns. Let participants apply these tools to real work problems for deeper impact.