Lateral thinking activities encourage creative problem-solving by challenging assumptions and exploring unconventional ideas. These exercises, popularized by Edward de Bono, help individuals and teams break free from linear thinking patterns.
## Key Techniques
Use random starting points by picking an unrelated word or object to spark ideas for a problem, like associating "banana" with improving team meetings.
Alternative perspectives involve viewing a challenge from someone else's viewpoint, such as imagining how a child would redesign a smartphone.
Challenge assumptions by questioning "why" repeatedly, like asking why a process exists instead of accepting it as is.
## Sample Games
- **Riddles**: Pose scenarios like "A man is found hanging in a locked room with a puddle of water—how did he die?" (He stood on a block of ice.)[6]
- **Puzzles and Brain Teasers**: Solve jigsaws, Sudoku, or crosswords that require non-obvious connections.
- **Reverse Thinking**: Flip a task, e.g., brainstorm ways to make a room messier before cleaning it.
## Team Activities
Mind mapping starts with a central problem and branches into wild associations to uncover hidden solutions.
Mystery bag challenges players to guess objects by touch, then invent new uses for them.
Random entry introduces unrelated images or words during brainstorming to jolt fresh insight.
