Dr. Edward de Bono's Lateral Thinking:
  1. Modes of the Mind.
  2. 13 steps to better thinking.
    1. Plus, minus, interesting. For three minutes, write down every good, bad, and interesting point about an idea you are working on.
    2. Consider all the factors in making a decision.
    3. If the action you have taken continues what are its consequences? Imagine the probable outcome of a decision at four distances in the future: immediate, short-term (1 to 5 years), medium term (5 to 25 years) and long-term (over 25 years).
    4. List the names, goals, and objectives of a particular action.
    5. Choose the three most important factors of a decision.
    6. Look for alternative solutions to a problem, and then choose the possible solution that might work.
    7. Trying to see the other person's viewpoint. Put yourself in his or her place.
    8. Look ahead to see the consequences of an action, plan, decision, or rule.
    9. Break a larger concept into smaller, more manageable parts.
    10. Focus directly and deliberately on the intentions behind actions.
    11. Ensure that your thinking serves your values.
    12. Select the most important ideas, factors, objectives, consequences, etc.
    13. Direct attention to the outcome of the thinking and action that follows.
  3. The creative pause- a very brief pause, within the mind of the thinker, to consider whether there might be an alternative or another way of doing things.
  4. Alternatives- the willingness to stop to look for alternatives when there is no apparent need to do so.
  5. Directions- very broad concepts or approaches.
  6. Concepts- general methods or general ways of doing things.
    1. Purpose concepts- what are you trying to do?
    2. Mechanism concepts- how does it work? who/what is the operating mechanism?
    3. Value concepts- why is this useful?
  7. Provocation - shaking up the mental process.
    1. Escape provocations - takes any point that is "taken for granted" or normal in this situation and then proceeded to escape from this, such as negating the point, canceling the point, dropping the point, or simply doing without it. For example, restaurants do not have food.
    2. Stepping-Stone Provocations.
      1. Reversal- the normal "direction" of action is taken and then "reversed" to form the provocation. For example, planes land upside down.
      2. Exaggeration- the normal measurements or dimensions are exaggerated. For example every household has 1000 phones.
      3. Distortion - normal relationship between involved parties or the normal sequence of events is altered in an arbitrary fashion to create a "distortion" of the situation. For example, children decide who their parents should marry. 
      4. Wishful thinking - "wouldn't it be nice if..."
  8. Movement- getting something useful from provocation.
    1. Extract a principle or feature and work forward from that.
    2. Focus on the difference.
    3. Look at the moment-to-moment effect of putting the idea into practice.
    4. Focus on the positive aspects.
    5. Figure under what circumstances there would be direct value.
  9. The stratal- put together five unconnected statements about the situation and then see what new ideas emerges. As an example, a stratal for creating an ad campaign for a new building product targeting builders might include these statements: Builders read local association magazines. Builders pay close attention to weather. Home buyers are well informed. Tract homes generally look alike. Builders have open houses.
  10. The concept fan- an elaborated way of seeing alternatives by wing concepts to "cascade" further alternatives. Idea(s) --> Concepts --> Directions --> object
  11. Lateral thinking techniques.
  12. Six Value Medals™