Disclaimer: Logical thinking methods such as analytical, linear and critical thinking are effective, but only when appropriate – which is very often, but not when you’re looking for a solution not yet created.
Employ Creative Thinking when it comes to tackling business challenges to achieve major breakthroughs.
Our logical mind often does well to explain why there is no way forward, no solution. This is because when applying logic the next step is one that has a rational relationship to on the previous one, or is built on top of it. If we learn to switch to a creative mode of thinking, we explore what could be without trying to use logic to arrive at the next step or solution.
Creative thinking allows us to arrive at a new idea, a concept, or a solution. And, if it’s a good one – not crazy, when we present it to our logical mind, it says, “Well, that’s obvious”. But… it sure couldn’t see it by itself.
So what might Creative Thinking be? There are tried and tested techniques which I touch on in my post What’s The Box? If the ‘box’ is the set of accepted norms, then thinking outside of the box means giving yourself a starting point that is outside of those norms. This can mean challenging the norms, reversing, distorting or exaggerating the obvious or even making effort to connect a random and disconnected idea to the topic.