So Why is lateral thinking important in an organization?

Lateral thinking is vital for organisations because it is the key to finding new and better ways to do things. Innovation is a necessity for competitive advantage and survival. Lateral thinking is a tool for creativity which leads to innovation.

I will share a story to bring home the point:

Many years ago, when a person who owed money could be thrown into

jail, a merchant in London had the misfortune to owe a huge sum to a

money-lender.

The money-lender, who was old, ugly and wicked, fancied the merchant's

beautiful teenage daughter. He proposed a bargain.

He said he would cancel the merchant's debt if he could have the girl

instead. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified at the

proposal.

So the cunning money-lender proposed that they let Providence decide

the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white

pebble into an empty money-bag and then the girl would have to pick out

one of the pebbles. If she chose the black pebble, she would become his

wife and her father's debt would be cancelled. If she chose the white

pebble she would stay with her father and the debt would still be

cancelled.

But if she refused to pick out a pebble,her father would be thrown into jail

and she would starve. Reluctantly, the merchant agreed. They were

standing on a pebble-strewn path in the merchant's garden as they talked

and the money-lender stooped down to pick up the two pebbles.

As he picked up the pebbles, the girl, sharp-eyed with fright, noticed that

he picked up two black pebbles and put them into the money-bag. He

then asked the girl to pick out the pebble that was to decide her fate and

that of her father.

Imagine that you are standing on the path in the merchant's garden. What

would you have done if you had been the unfortunate girl?

Refuse to take a pebble?

Point out that there are two black pebbles in the bag and expose the

money-lender as a cheat ?

Take a black pebble and sacrifice yourself in order to save your father

from prison?

None of the suggestions in this situation is very helpful, for if the girl

does not take a pebble her father goes to prison, and if she does take a

pebble, then she has to marry the money- lender.

NOW, THINK LATERALLY! What do you think the girl did??

The girl in the pebble story put her hand into the money-bag and drew

out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall to the path,

where it was immediately lost among all the others. "Oh, how clumsy of me," she said, "but never mind - if you look into the bag you will be able

to tell which pebble I took by the Colour of the one that is left."

Since the remaining pebble is of course black, it must be assumed that

she had taken the white pebble, since the money-lender dare not admit

his dishonesty.

In this way, using lateral thinking, the girl changes what

seems an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one!

MORAL OF THE STORY: Most of the complex problems do have a solution

its only that we don’t attempt to think out of the Box .

So start thinking creatively to solve complex problems…