The document discusses principles of lateral thinking for generating new ideas: 1. Challenge assumptions and ask searching questions to gain new perspectives. 2. Break rules and take different points of view by considering unusual combinations of ideas. 3. Empower employees to try creative ideas and be prepared to accept failures, as failures can lead to future successes and learning.

1. Lateral Thinking by Paul Sloane<br />1. Check your assumptions<br />2. Ask searching questions: what business are we in? <br />Parker pen = gift industry<br />We don’t need a drill - we need a hole in the wall<br />Underware is confidence<br />Challenge the questions. <br />List all rules, 100 rules for a company, should t rule be broken? 50% should be broken.<br />Exercise: imaginary photo book. One person is asking any questions regarding the book, another one is only asking the numerical questions.<br />3. Break the rules!<br />4. Deliberately take a different point of view. Example: Ford wanted a new sustainable advantage : go create car parks only available for Ford.<br />1953 only BBC, license to advert funded region, Grenada cinema bought the rainiest region instead of the one with the richest audience: they knew that those viewers stay home and watch TV who have a bad weather and don’t want to go out. <br />Stolen light bulbs in subway. Solution: anti clockwise screwers, so when the burglar is unscrewing the bulb he is actually screwing them even tighter.<br />Fortunately and unfortunately exercise.<br />5. Look for weird combinations!<br />Direct line for ex, solar powered torch, wind up radio works in third world, coin punch and wine press was Gutenbergs invention of printer. Put together two things!<br />Travel Bags with wheels – instead of drugging the suitcase on the trolley. What are the wheels we can put on our product?<br />Mercedes collaborated with Swatch for the Smart car.<br />The stranger the combination - the more promising the outcome.<br />Have a well organised suggestion scheme! Give it a theme each month!!<br />Corporate sperm count.<br />50 million sperm getting through is het wrong way to think about the pregnancy. Generate loads of ideas and you will also get some great ideas.<br />Brainstorm, first part is quantity. Second phase is selecting ideas and implementing plan.<br />Copy other people’s ideas! Velcro copied from seed on dogs hair.<br />Copy mosquito for getting better needle.<br />Ball in deodorant is copied from ball point pen.<br />6. Empower employees to succeed and be prepared for failings. Try a crazy idea!<br />Get a slash fun to fund ideas not ready for t board or invest request.<br />Richard Branson, virgin brides, idea from air hostess who he then made CEO.empowerment.<br />7. Can’t play safe all the time. Welcome failure. Double fault in tennis. Not worth playing safe!<br />Innovative leaders trust Experimenters. Display all the failures to show its ok!<br />Example: Failure 101 course in engineering<br />Incompetent failure is not ok.<br />Praising something even if it didn't work! Powerful action!<br />