Problem Solving
– Lateral Thinking -

The Beautician Test	Ask somebody who knows nothing at all about the subject. How does he or she see things?
Own Structures	What, in your opinion, are the pre-requisites of the task? What aspects appear to be fixed? What would happen if this is not the case in reality?
Brainstorming	Everyone says everything that occurs to them. During the brainstorming session criticism is NOT ALLOWED. Quantity goes before quality. In this case, jumping on the bandwagon is desirable. Any assessment takes place afterwards.
Mind Maps	Write the task small in the middle of a large piece of paper and draw a circle around what you have written. Draw a line branching out from the circle, attaching a new circle containing a new thought which is associated with the previous thought. Draw another line branching out from this circle and another circle with a new thought in it that you associate with the one before; and so on and so forth until you have covered the whole piece of paper.
The Copper Technique	Take a look at what others have already done on the subject. Other clients and other agencies. How could you do it better?
Thinking Backwards	Begin your thoughts in reverse. What is the final goal you want to achieve? What has to happen immediately before this? What do you need to do to achieve this? What has to be done to make sure of this 'need' occuring? And so on.
Surfing the Net	Type a couple of keywords which fit the subject into a search engine. What results do you get? Pay special attention to unusual links. Careful though, don't get carried away!
The Creative SWAT Team	Get together with a group of people who are not stressed out: students, school children, relatives, the caretaker... Give them a clear explanation of the task in hand. You'll be surprised at the results you get!
The Analogy	Formulate the problem again, but abstractly this time. Where can you find similar problems? In the environment? In technology? How would the problem be solved in these areas? How can you transpose the solution onto your problem?
The Cinema	Go to the cinema. Put yourself in the position of one of the characters in the film. How would this figure approach your task? Alternatively, stay in your office and think of a film you have seen recently.
The Thesis	Imagine you are writing a thesis on the subject. How would it be structured?
The Table Top Game	Reconstruct the scene on your desk. You = a pencil, the client = an eraser etc... How does the situation appear now?
Bad Ideas	Collect bad ideas. The worst ideas you can find. Ideas that would never work. The worse they are, the better.
The movie	Make a film of your task. Create roles, create a storyline and cast actors for the different roles. Write the script. Is the film exciting or is it funny? Imagine a happy ending. Imagine a sad ending.
Strange Location	Go to a place that you are not very familiar with. If possible, somewhere you've never been before. How does the task appear when considered from here? If necessary: imagine this place in your mind's eye. What would happen if...
How Would I View this Task...	...if the end of the world came tomorrow? ...if tomorrow I won the lottery?
The Shopping Trip	What can you find to help you with your task?
The Magic Wand	You have a magic wand. In your mind, imagine you go through life using the wand to eliminate any obstacles in your path. Where does your path lead? What new paths appear on the way?
The Time Machine	Go back into the past, or into the future. Make friends with the people you meet. Tell them about the problem you have to solve. How do they see it? What advice can they give you? This works particularly well with several people.
The Board Game	Create a board game involving all the factors that belong to your task which you have to consider. Maybe you can even play a round..For example: a game with dice: what do you need to achieve? Where are the problem areas? Which event cards can be drawn?
The Video Drama	Relate the problems of the task in front of a video camera. When you are finished, play back the video...do this again...and again...and again. See what happens.
A Day at the Zoo	Go to the Zoo. Observe the animals. Find an animal that can help you. Imagine you can read its mind. Ask it questions. What does it advise you to do?
The Quick Solution	Bang your fist on the table. Say as loudly as you can, 'the answer's really simple. All I have to do is...' and then just carry on talking and see what happens. Try this several times...each time with new ideas...don't stop...do this at least 20 times.
Loony Toons	Imagine yourself as a cartoon character. What do you look like, what clothes are you wearing? You're sitting despairingly at your desk searching for a solution. What do you do? What would the cartoon character do? (Possibly all those things you would NEVER do). What sorts of answers occur to the cartoon figure?
Creative Dance	Put on some very loud music. Dance as energetically as you possibly can...for at least 5 minutes...then sit down and remain quiet, close your eyes and see what new thoughts come into your mind.

Volver al Indice