Lateral Thinking & Innovative Problem-Solving

An exciting new master class in innovation thinking, based on the science of Smartcuts:

PREVIEW THE LESSON OUTLINE:

INTRODUCTION:

How Innovation Works—And How To Approach It Smarter

Innovation happens when we change the game rather than playing the same game. But that’s easier said than done. In this lesson, we’ll introduce the core concepts that will help you learn to approach problems more cleverly, come up with more innovative ideas, spot bad ideas that look good, and get yourself and others to think more innovatively.

LESSON 1:

How To Think Different

Your instruction will begin with a discussion on the trouble with best practices, and how “lateral thinking” works. You’ll dive into how to rethink assumptions, the difference between Elastic Thinking and Frozen Thinking, and how to foster cognitive openness vs cognitive entrenchment. All of this will set you up to approach problem-solving and idea-generation from innovative angles.

LESSON 2

The Ultimate Framework For Lateral Thinking

With a solid foundation for lateral thinking in place, in this lesson you’ll learn how to apply the Scientific Method to your daily thinking process & decision-making. You’ll practice with tools designed to help you build your own scientific thinking processes inside your own head, so lateral thinking can start to become habitual. (No laboratory required!)

LESSON 3

How To Think From First Principles & Cut To The Heart Of Matters

Creative geniuses from Einstein to Elon sing praises to the idea of “thinking from first principles”—but how does one actually do that in real-life (and business) scenarios? In this lesson you’ll master the methodology for making observations and boiling them down to principles from the world’s most famous fictional genius: Sherlock Holmes.

LESSON 4

How To Use Second-Order Thinking & See The Bigger Picture

Externalities, ripple effects, dominoes, Newton’s 3rd Law—these are simply different ways to talk about “second order effects” that occur when we try new things. In this lesson, you’ll learn how asking the right kinds of questions—the kinds that lead to Second Order Thinking—can help you see what others don’t when solving hard problems. Once mastered, the principles in this lesson will make creative problem-solving, ironically, a lot quicker.

LESSON 5

How To Reliably Come Up With Innovative Hypotheses

One of the most pervasive problems in business stems from the way we treat ideas—and how we hold onto them in order to get promoted or avoid consequences. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to depersonalize ideas, form innovative hypotheses, and conduct personal brainstorming sessions. This is most students’ favorite lesson, as you’ll blaze through all the ways you can use lateral thinking to come up with creative ideas.

LESSON 6

How To Conduct Thought Experiments To Test Creative Ideas

How can you take risks on innovative ideas without putting your neck (or others’) on the line? In this lesson, you’ll learn to master the art of the thought experiment, and apply the art of being an open thinker in order to expound on and combine clever ideas. Think of it as improv’s “Yes, And” on steroids—and with an actionable framework for applying it anywhere.

LESSON 7

Using Mental Models To Bulletproof Your Ideas

The last step of the innovation process is not what we think. Most people come up with new ideas and then work to convince others that they’re right. But the best innovators instead try to prove themselves wrong first. This lesson will teach you “mental models” for making sure your ideas are bulletproof before you go out and try to persuade others to get on board.

As a bonus: you’ll learn to poke holes in others’ ideas without being a jerk.

LESSON 8

How To Build Cognitive Diversity & Increase Your Lateral Thinking Ability

Now that you know how to use lateral thinking, it’s time to fill your cognitive pool with material to draw from. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to build cognitive diversity in your own head, how to form a brain trust to make your ideas better, and how to develop polymathic range without spreading yourself thin. All of this increases your problem-solving ability—and will make you an indispensable team member.

BONUS LESSON

At the end of the course, you’ll learn how to further apply lateral thinking to Business Growth & Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Teamwork, and Advanced Problem Solving.