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Basing one's business decision on an approach that relies on experience may work sometimes. Experience is a useful part of the process, but it may also lock the decision maker into a method that cannot lead to an innovative solution. An alternative to this experience‐based (linear) way of problem solving is a certain skillful way of thinking known as lateral thinking. This paper aims to present a simple alternative approach to managerial decision making.

Here lateral thinking is defined as methods of thinking concerned with changing concepts and perception. Various tests are suggested that show how it might be measured. These tests were originally developed to identify creative thinking ability. One of these tests is used in an illustrative decision aid to reduce a common decision‐making “bias” labeled “hindsight bias”.

The simple decision aid reduced the hindsight effect for those decision makers who were deemed to be limited in their lateral thinking ability. Those who could already think laterally were not affected by the decision aid. The decision aid was decision‐making neutral for them.

Often, when attempting to improve decision making, the focus is on providing better information or models. Rarely is the cognitive ability of the manager specifically considered. Here, a simple decision aid has been suggested that appears to help managers adopt a different perception of the decision situation. For managers and organizations this is a low cost opportunity to achieve better results.

The term of lateral thinking in Oxford dictionary is seeking to solve problems by unorthodox or apparently illogical methods. On the hypercompetitive markets agile, value-oriented, inspiring, collaborative, appreciative leaders are needed. These AVICA-type leaders have the ability to catalyze and develop adaptive processes. They are receptive to innovation and also open to the creative thoughts of others. The leader himself is also a lateral innovator and unfolds the creativity of the employees in business life and the students in higher education. The educators, in a lateral approach, are leaders, but can also be Renaissance-type people, polyhistors, homo ludens. Creativity researchers generally agree that educators’ view on creativity determines the way in which they deal with developing students’ mindset. In our research, we evaluate how important students consider the knowledge of lateral innovation to their related subjects, the development of their innovative way of thinking and how they perceive the activities of the lecturers in this direction. The other question is whether educators see lateral approach as an important value creation process. The ultimate goal of the research is to explore the factors that contribute to the implementation of the lateral mindset for the sustainable competitiveness of higher education in economics.

We are negotiating all the time: with customers, suppliers, trade unions, our family ‐ indeed, all with whom we come into contact. In business, in particular, negotiation needs management. There are said to be eight stages in negotiation: prepare, argue, signal, propose, present the package, bargain, close and agree. At the proposal stage one must be clear about what one must achieve, what one intends to achieve, and what one would like to achieve. The approach to constructive and competitive negotiation, the role of consultation, how to cope with deadlock and conflict, cross‐cultural negotiation, and the art of compromise are reviewed. The development and use of teams in negotiation is also an important factor, needing careful assessment. Negotiation will nearly always involve conflict, but steps must be taken to ensure that the participants remain on friendly terms.

Discusses the virtues of creativity as the first part of a process enabling companies to outperform their competitors. Considers five techniques for stimulating creativity, with examples of applications of each: lateral thinking, metaphoric thinking, positive thinking, association trigger, and capturing and interpreting dreams. Surmises that creative thinking relies on practice and the right environment as well as education in techniques.

This paper seeks to present an interview with Edward de Bono who is widely regarded as the father of lateral thinking and a leading authority in the direct teaching of thinking as a skill, describing how his medical background inspired his understanding of the brain as a self‐organizing system, enabling him to design practical tools for thinking.

The paper uses an interview to explain the development, application and impact of his ideas about thinking and creativity.

Discusses some cultural issues relating to uptake of his ideas, mentions his most recent book and emphasizes the difference between artistic and idea creativity.

Details some of the applications and resultant successes of his thinking skills work which has been introduced in companies and educational environments in many countries around the world. Discusses some cultural issues relating to uptake of his ideas, mentions his most recent book and emphasizes the difference between artistic and idea creativity.

Some of the newer techniques in managerial decision making are examined, with particular reference to those based on statistical and mathematical principles and the use of management information systems. The creativity approach in its modern form, described as lateral thinking, is reviewed. It is argued that creativity is a skill that can be learnt, like any other skill, and a process of managerial decision thinking is advocated.

Reviews the advances in creative thinking since De Bono′s Lateral Thinking, including work on brain hemispheres, with particular reference to practical techniques that can be applied in business. Outlines a general approach, largely concerned with how the creative right brain is best harnessed, and drawing, inter alia, on current research among top British business leaders. Describes a number of specific techniques, including what are termed Chunking, Sleight of Mouth, Reversals, Metaphors, the Meta Model, and different forms of Visualization. Some of these have been developed within Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). A new technique, Chunked Reversals, has been developed by the author. These techniques allow, typically, hundreds of ideas to be generated and applied to strategic or operational business objectives, in a more focused way than traditional brainstorming or lateral thinking.

To provide a practical overview of strategic thinking concepts and practices for marketing and other managers that can help them improve their strategy making.

The raw materials of strategic thinking are illustrated by case studies and examples from a range of industries to aid managers in their successful application. The principles and techniques are presented in four categories: thinking strategies, strategic decision making, strategic competencies and visualizing strategy.

Offers marketers an approach for moving beyond the automatic application of traditional strategic frameworks to identify and to achieve breakthrough strategies. Recognizes the real power of strategic thinking as a source of competitive advantage.

The principles and practices proposed represent a practical system for enhancing strategic promise and performance, as well as for reducing the risks of strategic failure.

The marketing discipline is long overdue in applying the same attention and rigor to strategic thinking that it applies to strategic planning and this paper offers managers practical help in identifying and developing strategic thinking competencies.

Traditional paradigms of leadership have celebrated decisive top-down control and analytical decision making. But times are changing. The world is becoming more connected, complex, fluid, and interdependent.

Leading people in this age requires empathy, collaboration, curiosity, and creativity. It’s more about designing elegant solutions than mandating feasible ones. It’s more about becoming optimistic beacons of change than authoritative custodians of the status quo. The leaders of tomorrow are not commanders, they are innovators; and in that, they have a natural ally in designers – the poster children of innovation.

This chapter focuses on how leadership can leverage tools and frameworks usually associated with design to innovate, solve complex problems, motivate teams, inspire people, and nurture the next generation of leaders. It discusses design methodologies – user-focused design, lean, design thinking – as potential approaches to optimizing organizational leadership. We elaborate these ideas through real-world examples.

The chapter also offers actionable tips and techniques that designers use to respond empathetically and elegantly to complex human needs, which are rooted deeply in behaviors and attitudes, governed by complex interactions, and therefore, hard to grapple through a purely analytical approach.

It debunks the myth that leaders need to be creative similar to designers to apply Design Thinking. Applying design approaches and practices to organizational leadership is not just about its leaders becoming more creative. It is definitely not about the person at the top coming up with the grand answer. It is a collaborative effort that brings people from all levels together in pursuit of a common goal.

Introduction The management of a business enterprise invariably requires meetings and group deliberations ranging from board meetings to first line supervisor meetings throughout the financial year. For the effective use of such group decision‐making situations, management must go beyond the assumptions and rational decision models of accountants and economists. While rationality, decision process steps, programmable decisions and statistical approaches can be most usefully considered, also important are the role of personal values in the decision‐making process, occupational identification, bias in thinking, rationalisation instead of rationality, the role of independent critical thinking, the problems of “group think”, lateral versus vertical thinking and the required conditions for group creativity.