Breaking Assumptions Pablo G. Tello - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Breaking Assumptions

Pablo G. TelloEU Office/IdeaSquareCERN

Slide2

… yes, but how?

Slide3

The most difficult to achieve is to…Challenge Assumptions

Generate new possibilities

Slide4

A useful techniqueLATERAL THINKING

is a method of thinking concerned with changing concepts and perception. It is about discovering what is not immediately obvious, and about ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic.

Dr. Edward de

Bono

Slide5

Logical thinking is primarily concerned with judging the true value of statements and seeking errors. It is very helpful when we implement solutions.

But there comes a time when one cannot proceed further without restructuring the pattern……without breaking up the old pattern which has been so useful and arranging the old information in a new way.

?

Slide6

Breaking up the old pattern and generating a new possibility

Slide7

Lateral vs Logical thinking…

Logical search

Lateral search

One is looking for the BEST POSSIBLE approach.

One is trying to produce as MANY ALTERNATIVES as possible.

One stops when one comes to a promising approach.

One acknowledges the promising approach and may return to it later but goes on to generating others.

One considers only reasonable alternatives.

Alternatives do not have to be reasonable.

Purpose: search for the best one.

Purpose: To loosen up rigid patterns and provoke new patterns.

Slide8

Logical vs lateral thinking…

Begin with one problem, data and assumptions

Logical

thinking

process

One

Answer

Begin with one problem

Brainstorming, free association, questioning assumptions

Wide space of solution possibilities

Slide9

Enough theory…

…let’s go for the practice(each exercise 7 min and 1 to explain solution)

( work in teams and select a presenter)

Slide10

Exercise 1

How would you divide a square into four equal pieces?

Slide11

Solution 1

Did you consider any of these?

Slide12

Exercise 2Problem: A

landscape gardener is given instructions to plant four special trees so that each one is exactly the same distance from each of the others.

Slide13

Solution 2

One tree is planted on top of a hill.

(

the

broken assumption

is that they are all planted on a

leveled

piece of

ground).

Slide14

Exercise 3

IX

Add a single line to turn

this into a

six;

generate as many solutions as you can.

Slide15

Solution 3

SIX

IX6

Generated possibilities by broken assumptions

6 can be written in different ways

Lines are also curve

Slide16

Exercise 4

What do you read in the figure above?

Slide17

Solution 4 Flip/Flop

Broken assumption: o can be an i (figure/background)

Slide18

Exercise 5There are six glasses in a row. The first three are full of water, and the next three are empty.

By moving only one glass how can you make them alternate between full and empty?

Slide19

Solution 5Pour the water from the 2

nd glass into the 5th glass.

Slide20

Exercise 6We are in the 50’s so no mobiles exist yet. You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy

night in a lonely place.You pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:An

old lady

who

is sick and needs to be taken to the hospital

.

An

old friend who once saved your

life.

The

perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Knowing that

there can only be one passenger in your car, whom would you choose?

Hint:

You can make everyone happy including yourself

Slide21

Solution 6The old lady of course!

After helping the old lady into the car, you can give your keys to your friend, and wait with your perfect partner for the bus.

Slide22

Exercise 7Move the minimum number of sticks to make this operation right.

I + IX = X

Slide23

Solution 7Flip it upside down and you have it moving zero sticks

I + IX = XI + IX = X

Slide24

Exercise 8Move just two coins to form two lines, each containing six coins.

Slide25

Solution 8

Slide26

Exercise 9Suppose you want to start restaurant and have difficulties to come up with ideas. You then decide to list three assumptions and reverse them.

Come up with an idea for each one of the reversals

Slide27

Solution 9

Slide28

Messages to take home…Lateral thinking is a useful technique to actually learn how to think out of the box.

It is complementary to our more familiar logical and critical thinking mode.P

ractise it as much as you can.

Slide29

Most important…Challenge assumptions and

Generate new different solutions

Slide30

Exercise…Come up with a business idea for the following 3 establishments based on reversing 3 assumptions about each one of them.

Prepare a pitch of 3 min about every idea that you have generated.

Slide31

Establishment one: Insurance Company

Slide32

Establishment two: Prison

Slide33

Establishment three: Pick your own one

Slide34

To read further…Edward de Bono,

Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step, (1970), Harper & Row 1973.Michael

Michalko

,

Thinkertoys

: A Handbook of Creative-thinking Technique

s. 2nd ed. Berkeley,

Calif

: Ten Speed Press, 2006.

Slide35

Thank youAny questions?