Lateral and Vertical Thinking
Lateral Thinking: Solves problems through a creative, indirect approach
Vertical Thinking: Solutions through linear step-by-step approaches
Both of these types of thinking are productive in their own right
One of the most crucial skills to cultivate in a team
Favored in the creative industries
Allows you to produce fresh ideas to implement
Get in the habit of reframing problems
Reframe problems instead of jumping to tried-and-true approaches to solving them.
Challenge the assumptions that are being made about the problem in the first place
Look for inspiration in industries that have nothing to do with yours
Ask questions often
Ask multiple questions to encourage your team to think outside the box
Some team members may not talk a lot, but may have rich insights to share when prompted
Diversity of perspective is important for cultivating lateral thinking
Include introverts in your meetings
Listen without preconceived notions
Be open to listening to ideas without any bias presented by employees to encourage them
Encourage your team to work from different environments
Lateral thinking skills can be developed by encouraging employees to work in different physical spots rather than the same office spot all day long