Lateral thinking: How to workshop innovative ideas | Dan Seewald | Big Think

TL;DR

Building deep patterns of thinking can limit our ability to think differently, but through practice, preparation, play, and exploring outside domains, we can cultivate new patterns of thinking and drive innovation.

Transcript

As we get older, it becomes a real benefit to have a long history and tradition, the work that you do. It builds what you might call patterns or rivers of thinking. And the more experience we glean, the more education we acquire. We build deeper and deeper rivers. And those rivers are really valuable. Those patterns are important. But the challenge... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤔 Building deep patterns of thinking can be both valuable and limiting.
• 🤔 Children have an advantage in lateral thinking because they haven't developed deep patterns yet.
• 🤩 Preparation is key to achieving success in workshops or ideation sessions.
• 🎮 Play and game mechanics can help foster innovation by putting us in a different mindset.
• ❓ Exploring outside domains and bringing in diverse perspectives can accelerate problem-solving.
• 👶 Soviet cosmonauts and the Russian science of TRIZ utilized the concept of borrowing solutions from different domains to solve new problems.
• 🤔 Cultivating new patterns of thinking requires practice and a desire to think differently.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is it challenging for adults to think differently compared to children?

Adults have built deep patterns of thinking over time, which can make it harder for them to break out of those patterns and think across different domains. Children, on the other hand, haven't developed deep patterns yet, allowing for more lateral thinking.

Q: How can we cultivate new patterns of thinking?

Cultivating new patterns of thinking requires practice and a desire to think differently. We can start by trying new things and breaking out of our normal routines. This rewires our brains and pushes us to think what we've never thought before.

Q: How can preparation contribute to achieving success in workshops or ideation sessions?

Preparation is crucial in workshops or ideation sessions because it primes our minds and readies us to think deeply on a subject. It gives us time for ideas to percolate, allowing for more thoughtful and innovative solutions.

Q: Why is play important in fostering innovation?

Play allows us to simulate and practice what we're going to do without the fear of failure. By incorporating play and game mechanics into workshops, we can build pathways and patterns that prepare us for serious work with a more playful mindset.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Building deep patterns of thinking can be valuable but can also make it difficult to think differently and come up with new ideas.

• Children have an advantage in lateral thinking because they haven't built deep patterns of thinking yet.

• To break out of our normal patterns of thinking, we can practice and cultivate new patterns by doing things differently and rewiring our brains.