Award winning novelist and journalist Sarah Tucker, finds out how lateral thinking not only helps you find solutions, it also triggers a stronger sense of style.<\/p>\n
Researching the life and work of Rhodes Scholar, business icon and Nobel Prize Nominee, Edward de Bono, the person who invented the concept of lateral thinking, I realised I (sort of) do know how to think. (Although when I asked him if I did, know how to think, he replied unequivocally, \u2018no, Sarah, you do a little bit. Then noticing I look a little dejected, he added \u2018you pretend to think but you do it very well.<\/p>\n
Lateral thinking or \u2018thinking out of the box\u2019 as its sometimes called, isn\u2019t just creative thinking \u2013 it is a neurological technique to consciously change the patterning system within the self-organising patterning system of the brain. That\u2019s a mouthful \u2013 so de Bono invented a word (as he often did) to simplify the process. He labelled this neurological technique – \u2018lateral thinking\u2019. He advocated collaboration and connection, recommended developing portfolio careers before portfolio careers became labelled as such and identified why polymaths are more efficient at problem solving than specialists who have spent their life in one role or profession. He identified the need to distinguish between fluency of style and integrity of thinking \u2013 something we need to do in order to identify why politicians and many of those at the top of their respective industries, are naked emperors.<\/p>\n
The problem is not only does our language encourage us to \u2018follow\u2019 (think about what you are saying about yourself every time you tick the box \u2018follower\u2019 on social media) but so does our brain \u2013 even if its off a cliff or not good for us. We fail to evolve and focus on blame, attack and ideology. That\u2019s why he suggested more engineers in politics \u2013 they focus on finding solutions and fixing things. They are not \u2018performers\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\t\t