The Edward de Bono Foundation

	Lateral Thinking is about changing concepts and perceptions. Certain problems do not need an injection of better logic in order to solve them; sometimes it is necessary to shift our attention, to approach the problem from a new perspective. In an increasingly competitive world, traditional methods of problem solving can only take us so far. We need to go beyond problem solving; we need the ability to generate new concepts and new ways of doing things. Indeed, we must learn to do so on demand, instead of just hoping we'll somehow stumble on an innovative idea. Lateral Thinking will equip you with solid practical methods for challenging current thinking you'll find out how to harness your own creativity so that it can work for you, when you need it.

	You'll learn to solve problems and generate new ideas to meet the challenges of the concept driven businesses of the new millennium. Today, better quality and better service are essential, but they are not enough. Creativity and innovation are the only engines that will drive lasting global success. Lateral Thinking in action The British Airports Authority implemented a completely new approach to parking at Heathrow Airport. The idea was developed using lateral Thinking. The results: lower costs reduced traffic and improved customer satisfaction. At Prudential Insurance of Canada the executive team used Lateral Thinking to develop the hugely successful concept of 'Living Benefits'. This

revolutionised the insurance industry and helped Prudential lead the market with a unique product.

Who should attend?
This workshop is designed for all executives, managers, professionals and advisors who are concerned with making their organisation more innovative in the face of growing competition. Attendance of a group of managers from one company is highly recommended, as it will facilitate successful implementation of the skills within the company.

Details About the Course

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Workshop outline
The need for Creative Thinking: Why Creative Thinking is a learnable set of skills

Alternatives: how to use concepts as a breeding ground for new ideas. Sometimes we do not look for alternatives at all. These sessions show how to extract the concept behind a group of alternatives and then use it to generate further alternatives.

Focus: when and how to change the focus of your thinking. The discipline of defining your focus and sticking to it. The attitudes of focusing on matters that are not problem areas. How to generate and use a creative Hit List.

Challenge: breaking free from the limits of accepted ways of operating. With Challenge, we believe that the present way of doing things is not necessarily the best. Challenge is not an attack or criticism. It is the willingness to explore the reasons why we do things the way we do and whether there are any alternatives.

Random Entry: using unconnected input to open new lines of thinking.

Provocation & Movement: This session explores the nature of perception and how it limits our creativity. The Provocation techniques are designed to challenge these limitations. Movement is a new mental operation that we have to use as an alternative to judgment. It allows us to develop a provocative idea into one that is workable and realistic.

Harvesting: at the end of a Creative Thinking session we normally only take note of the specific ideas that seem practical and have obvious value. We need to make a deliberate harvesting effort to collect ideas and concepts that are less well developed.