Lateral thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic. The term was coined by Edward de Bono in his 1967 book "The Use of Lateral Thinking."

In today's rapidly evolving professional landscape, lateral thinking has become increasingly valuable. Organizations face complex challenges that conventional approaches can't always solve effectively. Professionals who can think laterally bring fresh perspectives, identify innovative solutions, and make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts—all crucial abilities for driving innovation and competitive advantage.

Lateral thinking manifests in various ways across roles: engineers develop novel technical solutions, marketers create breakthrough campaign strategies, product managers identify unmet customer needs, and leaders navigate organizational challenges with innovative approaches. It encompasses several dimensions including creativity, cognitive flexibility, pattern recognition, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to challenge established paradigms.

When interviewing candidates, effectively evaluating lateral thinking requires questions that reveal how they've applied these skills in real situations. By using the behavioral interview questions below and thoroughly exploring candidates' responses with thoughtful follow-up questions, you'll gain valuable insights into their capacity for innovative thinking and problem-solving aptitude. This approach aligns with Yardstick's interview methodologies, which emphasize behavioral assessments over hypothetical scenarios.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you developed a solution that others initially considered unconventional or unexpected, but ultimately proved valuable.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific problem or challenge that required a solution
• How the candidate identified the unconventional approach
• Why others were skeptical about the approach
• The process of implementing and testing the solution
• The ultimate results and impact
• Any resistance faced and how it was overcome
• Lessons learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What inspired you to think beyond the conventional approaches in this situation?
• How did you convince stakeholders to give your unconventional idea a chance?
• What specific aspects of the solution made it unconventional compared to standard approaches?
• How did this experience change how you approach problem-solving now?

Describe a situation where you had to completely reframe a problem to find a solution.

Areas to Cover:

• The original framing of the problem and why it was ineffective
• The process of shifting perspective and reframing
• How the candidate recognized the need to reframe
• Specific techniques used to view the problem differently
• How the reframing led to new solution possibilities
• The implementation and outcomes
• Reactions from others to this reframing

Follow-Up Questions:

• What triggered your realization that the problem needed to be reframed?
• What specific aspects of the problem became clearer or different after reframing?
• How did you help others see the problem from this new perspective?
• What tools or techniques do you typically use to help yourself reframe problems?

Share an example of how you connected seemingly unrelated ideas or concepts to create an innovative solution.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific challenge or opportunity that was addressed
• The seemingly unrelated ideas/concepts that were connected
• How the candidate made these unexpected connections
• The process of developing the innovation from these connections
• Implementation challenges faced
• Results and impact of the innovation
• How others responded to the unconventional connection

Follow-Up Questions:

• How do you habitually look for connections between different fields or ideas?
• What specifically about these two unrelated areas made you think they could be connected?
• What was the most challenging aspect of implementing a solution based on this unexpected connection?
• How do you nurture your ability to make these kinds of connections?

Tell me about a time when you challenged an established process or way of thinking in your organization.

Areas to Cover:

• The established process or thinking that was challenged
• Why the candidate felt it needed to be challenged
• The approach taken to question and challenge effectively
• Data or evidence gathered to support the alternative view
• How resistance or defensiveness was handled
• The outcome of the challenge
• Changes implemented as a result

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you balance respect for established practices with the need for change?
• What specific insights or observations led you to question the established approach?
• How did you manage relationships with those who were invested in the status quo?
• What have you learned about effectively challenging established thinking?

Describe a situation where you had to solve a problem with significant constraints or limited resources.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific constraints or resource limitations faced
• The initial reaction to these limitations
• Creative approaches developed to work within constraints
• How the candidate reframed constraints as opportunities
• The solution development process
• Key moments of creative breakthrough
• Results achieved despite the limitations

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did the constraints actually help stimulate creative thinking?
• What specific techniques did you use to think beyond the obvious limitations?
• How did you prioritize which constraints could be worked around and which were firm?
• How has this experience influenced how you view constraints in new situations?

Tell me about a time when you had to abandon your initial solution approach and pivot to something completely different.

Areas to Cover:

• The original problem and initial solution approach
• How the candidate realized the approach wasn't working
• The decision-making process around abandoning the initial direction
• How attachment to the original idea was overcome
• The process of developing the new approach
• Implementation of the pivot
• Ultimate outcome and lessons learned

Follow-Up Questions:

• What were the early warning signs that your initial approach might not succeed?
• How did you manage your own attachment to your original idea?
• What did you learn about yourself through this pivot process?
• How did you communicate the need to pivot to other stakeholders?

Share an example of how you've helped others look at a problem from multiple perspectives.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation where multiple perspectives were needed
• Why the situation called for diverse viewpoints
• Techniques used to facilitate perspective-taking
• How different perspectives were collected and synthesized
• Resistance encountered and how it was addressed
• The ultimate value gained from the multiple perspectives
• How the approach affected the final outcome

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific techniques do you use to help people break out of their established thinking patterns?
• How do you create an environment where people feel comfortable sharing unconventional viewpoints?
• How do you handle conflicting perspectives while still moving toward a solution?
• What have you learned about facilitating lateral thinking in groups?

Describe a time when you identified an opportunity that others had overlooked.

Areas to Cover:

• The overlooked opportunity and its context
• How the candidate was able to spot what others missed
• The process of validating the opportunity
• How it was presented to others
• Implementation steps taken
• Results and impact of pursuing the opportunity
• Lessons learned about identifying hidden opportunities

Follow-Up Questions:

• What do you think enabled you to see this opportunity when others missed it?
• What initial evidence convinced you this was worth pursuing?
• How did you build support for exploring this overlooked opportunity?
• What practices do you follow to regularly identify opportunities others might miss?

Tell me about a situation where you turned a significant challenge or setback into an opportunity.

Areas to Cover:

• The initial challenge or setback encountered
• The immediate impact and reaction
• The reframing process that transformed perspective
• How opportunities were identified within the challenge
• Actions taken to capitalize on these opportunities
• Results achieved through this reframing
• How this approach has influenced subsequent handling of setbacks

Follow-Up Questions:

• What was your initial reaction to the setback, and how did your thinking evolve?
• What specific techniques did you use to shift your perspective from challenge to opportunity?
• How did you help others see the opportunity within the problem?
• What have you learned about resilience and adaptability from this experience?

Share an example of when you had to question your own assumptions to solve a problem.

Areas to Cover:

• The problem context and initial assumptions
• How the candidate became aware of potentially limiting assumptions
• The process used to identify and examine these assumptions
• How alternative assumptions were developed and tested
• The impact of shifting assumptions on the solution approach
• The ultimate outcome and solution effectiveness
• Lessons learned about managing assumptions

Follow-Up Questions:

• What triggered your realization that your assumptions might be limiting your thinking?
• What specific techniques do you use to identify and challenge your own assumptions?
• How do you distinguish between assumptions that should be challenged and valid constraints?
• How has this experience changed how you approach new problems?

Describe a time when you applied knowledge or a concept from a completely different field to solve a problem in your area of expertise.

Areas to Cover:

• The problem that needed solving in the candidate's area of expertise
• The unrelated field or domain from which inspiration was drawn
• How the candidate made the connection between these different areas
• The adaptation process to apply the external concept
• Any resistance faced to this cross-domain approach
• The implementation and results
• How this approach has influenced subsequent problem-solving

Follow-Up Questions:

• What habits or practices help you stay exposed to ideas from different fields?
• How did you recognize the potential application of this external concept?
• What was most challenging about translating the concept between domains?
• How do you actively cultivate cross-domain thinking in your work?

Tell me about a time when you had to generate multiple distinct solutions to a problem before finding the right approach.

Areas to Cover:

• The problem context and complexity
• The process used to generate multiple solutions
• How the candidate ensured diversity in the approaches considered
• The evaluation and selection process for the solutions
• Testing or implementation of various approaches
• How the final approach was determined
• Lessons learned about solution generation and selection

Follow-Up Questions:

• What techniques do you use to ensure you generate truly different solutions rather than variations on the same idea?
• How did you overcome the tendency to settle on an early solution?
• What criteria did you use to evaluate the different approaches?
• How do you maintain creative energy throughout a complex problem-solving process?

Share an example of how you've used analogies or metaphors to solve a complex problem or explain a difficult concept.

Areas to Cover:

• The complex problem or difficult concept being addressed
• How the analogy or metaphor was developed
• Why this particular comparison was effective
• How it led to new insights or understanding
• The reactions of others to this approach
• The outcome and impact of using the analogy
• How this approach has been incorporated into future work

Follow-Up Questions:

• What makes a powerful analogy or metaphor in your experience?
• How do you identify analogies that will resonate with specific audiences?
• When have you found analogical thinking most valuable in your work?
• How do you ensure an analogy clarifies rather than confuses?

Describe a situation where you had to solve a problem for which there was no precedent or established procedure.

Areas to Cover:

• The unprecedented situation or problem faced
• Initial approach to understanding the challenge
• How the candidate dealt with the lack of established procedures
• Resources or insights gathered to create a novel approach
• The development and testing process
• Implementation and results
• How the experience shaped future approaches to novel problems

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you manage the uncertainty of working without precedent?
• What gave you confidence in your approach despite the lack of established procedures?
• How did you evaluate whether your approach was working?
• What have you learned about tackling unprecedented challenges?

Tell me about a time when you helped transform a team's or organization's approach to a recurring problem.

Areas to Cover:

• The recurring problem and its impact
• Previous approaches that had been tried
• How the candidate recognized the need for transformation
• The process of developing a new approach
• How resistance to change was managed
• Implementation of the new approach
• Results and lasting impact on the team or organization

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you help people see the need for a fundamentally different approach?
• What techniques did you use to help others break out of established thinking patterns?
• How did you balance quick wins with longer-term transformation?
• What did you learn about driving change in established systems?

Share an example of how you've used reverse thinking—starting with the end goal and working backward—to solve a complex problem.

Areas to Cover:

• The complex problem being addressed
• Why reverse thinking was appropriate for this situation
• The process of defining the ideal end state
• How working backward revealed new insights or approaches
• Challenges encountered with this approach
• The implementation and outcomes
• How this thinking method has been applied to other situations

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific insights emerged from working backward that might not have been apparent otherwise?
• In what situations have you found reverse thinking most valuable?
• How do you balance this approach with more conventional forward-planning methods?
• How do you help others understand and adopt this thinking approach?

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes lateral thinking different from critical thinking or creativity?

Lateral thinking is distinct but complementary to both critical thinking and creativity. Critical thinking focuses on logical analysis and evaluation of information to form rational judgments, often following linear patterns. Creativity generally refers to the ability to generate novel ideas. Lateral thinking combines elements of both but specifically refers to the deliberate process of approaching problems from non-obvious angles, challenging assumptions, and generating alternative solutions by escaping established patterns. You can think of lateral thinking as a structured approach to applying creativity to problem-solving.

How can I tell if a candidate is naturally good at lateral thinking versus just well-prepared for interviews?

Look for markers of genuine lateral thinking through probing follow-up questions. Ask candidates to walk you through their exact thought process in specific situations—strong lateral thinkers can explain the mental connections they made and how they deliberately shifted perspectives. Listen for moments of self-awareness about their own thinking patterns. Also, present a novel problem during the interview and observe their real-time approach. Truly strong lateral thinkers will show curiosity, ask clarifying questions, consider multiple angles, and demonstrate comfort with ambiguity—behaviors that are difficult to rehearse.

Should I expect different levels of lateral thinking based on a candidate's career stage?

Yes, but not necessarily in the way you might think. Junior candidates might show raw lateral thinking ability but with less refinement or real-world application. Mid-career professionals typically demonstrate more purposeful application of lateral thinking to specific business challenges. Senior candidates should show not only personal lateral thinking but also how they've fostered it in teams and organizations. However, career stage doesn't always correlate with lateral thinking ability—some early-career professionals have exceptional natural capacity, while some experienced professionals may have had limited opportunity to develop this skill depending on their previous environments.

How many of these questions should I include in a single interview?

For a typical 45-60 minute interview focused on assessing lateral thinking, 3-4 questions with thorough follow-up is ideal. This allows sufficient depth to understand the candidate's approach rather than just hearing superficial responses. Quality of exploration trumps quantity of questions. If lateral thinking is just one of several competencies being evaluated in a broader interview, 1-2 targeted questions may be sufficient. Remember that behavioral questions require time for candidates to recall specific examples and articulate their approach, so allowing adequate time per question is essential for meaningful assessment.

How can I use these questions effectively with candidates who have limited work experience?

For candidates with limited professional experience, emphasize that examples can come from any context—academic projects, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, or personal challenges. Modify question phrasing to be more inclusive, such as "Tell me about a time when you approached a school project from an unexpected angle" or "Share an example of when you found a creative solution to a problem in any area of your life." Focus on assessing the underlying thinking patterns and potential rather than expecting extensive professional application. Also consider using case-based questions that allow candidates to demonstrate lateral thinking in hypothetical but realistic scenarios.

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