The Psychology of Quality and More

Lateral thinking

Lateral thinking is a form of creative thinking. It is very much about standing back, looking at the big picture and understanding concepts. It also requires that you focus in on the parts that have perhaps been overlooked, challenging assumptions and seeking alternatives.

A way of understanding lateral thinking is through its opposite, vertical thinking. A vertical thinker is analytical, careful and precise, taking the data around a problem and analyzing it with defined methodologies to find logical solutions. A lateral thinker understands vertical thinking, but chooses to deliberately outside of this bounded thought process.

The phrase 'Lateral thinking' was coined by Edward de Bono, who published the book, 'The Use of Lateral Thinking' in 1967.

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