It is our perceptions that control emotions, and emotions control behavior. If your perception changes, you have no choice; your emotions and behavior will change also. The random word technique helps you change your perspective, so you see concepts and new ideas differently.
The mechanism of the mind
We can now base thinking on the way the mind works. In Edward de Bono’s book, “mechanisms of the mind,” he describes the mind as a self-organizing system. Based on this self-organizing system, he designed the lateral thinking process.
The asymmetric patterning behavior of all human minds gives us creativity and humor. That is why we have excellent thinking (landing on the moon, fly faster than sound, computers, etc.) The interaction of our asymmetric mind is what gives us the ability to do creative thinking.
Perception
Perception is far more important than logic. Logic is excellent but not enough.
We have made significant achievements in science, technology, and engineering. We need to supplement our existing thinking methods with perceptual thinking, creative thinking, and design thinking.
The formal tools of lateral thinking
Lateral thinking means moving across established patterns of thought instead of moving along them. For example, if there is an obvious route in one direction, we are naturally blocked from taking other unknown ways. (The dominant pattern).
The lateral thinking tool requires that we block the obvious path (A to B). It may be the best way, but we will seek alternatives (drilling oil wells from vertical to horizontal, for example).
Focus is important:
What do you want to focus questions? What problem do you want to solve? Where do you want new ideas? There are two types of focus:
Purpose focus: a problem to solve, a process to simplify, a conflict to resolve, a product to improve. Etc.
Area focus: the general area in which you want new ideas. This area could be the market, the industry, or your market niche, for example. The random word tool is very useful for area focus because it works even with no defined starting point.
The focus area may be broad or narrow. You want new ideas about your focus objective (purpose or scope).
C wallet
A______________________________B
Restaurant
Therefore, to get new ideas, you need to get your mind off the traditional path A to B (the pattern already in your mind) and move laterally across the path to point C, a new starting point. For example, a random word disrupts the known pattern and asymmetrically opens your mind to a new pattern, pathway or idea.
In the random word technique, point C would be a random word you connect mentally to the focused area. This process allows you to create multiple new concepts or ideas about your targeted focus area.
Select Random Words
Select the random words to use as your new starting points. There are several ways to get random words. One of the best ways is to use the dictionary. Open the dictionary to a random page and then put your finger on a random word and select the closest word (a noun). Choose about five more words. Write them down.
Be sure you know the definition of each word because you will associate the characterizations of each word with your focus question Work quickly through each of the words, but don’t judge your responses at this time. Each idea response represents the possibility of a great idea. You are going to spend about 5-10 minutes exploring each random word.
For example, focus: on a new restaurant.
Random word: wallet.
One concept would be a restaurant where people order food, pay immediately, and take the food elsewhere to eat vs. ordering in, eating the food at the restaurant, and only paying after eating.
A restaurant where people are charged by the amount of time they spend at the restaurant.
A restaurant known for one special, unique and expensive dish served at one particular time every day.
Concepts
There can be functional or operational concepts to describe the way something is done. There are usually several levels of concept, from broad to detailed.
There can be value concepts (why is this a value?) Or purpose concepts (why are we doing this?) And descriptive concepts.
The importance of concepts is developing alternatives and new ideas by extracting the concept and looking for ways to deliver this concept through a specific idea. Ideas are the way of putting the concept into action.
Try it out
Try it on a focus of yours. The more you do, the more you learn and the more ideas you will get.
Let us know how this works for you or if you have any questions.
