Lateral thinking?

[princeperch]

Help for a dunce please.

On an online application form for a job, one of the questions is " give examples of when you used lateral thinking to solve a problem"..

I cannot for the life of me think of something to put down for this - I am totally stumped. Ive spent hours on the rest of the form and my head is buzzing...

Any suggestions as to where one would employ lateral thinking in our everyday/professional life?

Yours,

Confused of Herts

[ProPlus]

Was begining to get lonely........ I thought I was the only one locked in here.

Someon else who can post....Thank god for that.

[petros]

Brainstorming could be a form of lateral thinking. Getting everyone to write down their ideas for solving the problem, no matter how silly, then looking at the best ones as possible solutions. I think....

[srebbe64]

How about this for lateral thinking:

"I was applying for a job and I asked a motoring forum for ideas as to what to write."

[princeperch]

srebbe64 said:

How about this for lateral thinking: "I was applying for a job and I asked a motoring forum for ideas as to what to write."

I dont think that would go down too well to be honest.....

[Frik]

"The earth is flat."

[petros]

Only laterally

[petros]

The Central Heating in the office is broken and all the staff are going to leave cos it's too cold to work.Lateral thinking is to set fire to some desks and keep everyone warm. And to burn down the f... building as well

[Bobfrance]

If you have time buy and read "Lateral Thinking" by Edward de Bono.

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060903252/qid=1135634061/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/026-6317739-2471600

He's the man who invented the term.
I very much doubt many of the people who pose such questions have even heard of him.

[srebbe64]

How about saying you did some work in a previous company which proved that how well someone fills in a job application form bears absolutely no relation as to how good an employee they are. Equally, how well someone intervies is irrelevant (unless the job in question involves being interviewed all day!) The real trick, you discovered, was asking for, and talking to, references.

PS: The above is precisely my experience.

[ultimasimon]

The lads in the office thought Johnny was gay, so I sellotaped a large picture of a Penis on his desk

[allnighter]

You could say in order to increase productivity in the office you convinced the management to install an air conditionning system at a discounted price from the same retailer who was already working on the lighting system, and throw in a coffee machine for free.