Creativity as Problem-Solving: Using the PO Method at Work
Creativity in organisations is not about generating more ideas. It is about seeing problems differently. This essay explores lateral thinking and Edward de Bono’s PO method as a practical way to unlock new paths to value.
Editorial Note
This essay forms part of the Cultivated canon — a body of work exploring creativity as a practical capability in organisations. Here, creativity is treated not as artistic expression, but as a disciplined way of seeing problems differently in order to create value.
Creativity as Problem-Solving
I often describe myself as a creative soul working in a corporate role.
My interests have always lived in writing, film, radio, photography, and art. My professional work, however, has been in management, delivery, and organisational design.
Over time, I’ve come to see that these worlds are not in conflict. In fact, creativity has been one of the most reliable tools I’ve used to solve difficult, human problems at work.
Creativity, in this context, is not about novelty for its own sake. It is about creating something meaningful — a better decision, a clearer system, a more effective way of working.
And most workplaces have no shortage of problems.
Why creativity matters at work
Work does not suffer from a lack of ideas. It suffers from taking those ideas and turning them into value. Between the two often lay plenty of problems.
The real challenge is not solving more problems, but solving the right ones. Creativity helps by widening the frame before narrowing it again. It allows teams to ask better questions:
What problem are we actually trying to solve?
What are we assuming to be true?
What are we not seeing because we’re too close to the work?
Creative thinking helps surface options that sit outside habitual patterns — the ones organisations tend to default to under pressure.
Lateral thinking before convergence
Most people are trained to converge quickly. We identify a problem and rush toward the first plausible solution. This often leads to outcomes that:
- Treat symptoms rather than causes
- Solve for the short term
- Create new problems elsewhere in the system
Lateral thinking deliberately slows this rush. It expands the field of view first — exploring, reframing, and combining ideas — before selecting a path forward.
Edward de Bono described this as thinking sideways rather than head-on.
One of the most accessible tools he introduced for this purpose is the PO method.
The PO method: thinking by disruption
PO is a thinking device, not a statement of truth.
It deliberately introduces something unrelated in order to disrupt established patterns of thought. The method is simple:
- Clearly define the problem
- Choose an unrelated object
- Identify the object’s characteristics
- Use those characteristics as prompts for new ways of thinking about the problem
The value does not come from the object itself, but from what it forces the mind to do.
An example: staff retention
Problem:
Good people are leaving. The usual explanations are on the table: pay, management quality, workload, progression.
Object:
A table.
Characteristics:
A table has strong foundations.
It is stable and load-bearing.
It brings people together.
It creates a surface for work.
It comes in many shapes and sizes.
New lines of thinking:
Foundations point to consistency, role clarity, and succession.
Stability raises questions about constant change and shifting priorities.
Gathering suggests community, belonging, and shared purpose.
Work surface highlights the environments people do their best work within.
Variety invites flexibility rather than uniform solutions.
None of these ideas are radical. What changes is the path by which the team arrives at them.
That path matters.
Why the PO method works
The PO method works because it bypasses certainty.
It interrupts the instinct to be correct too quickly. It creates space for play, exploration, and unexpected connections — without losing sight of the real problem.
In groups, it also levels the field. There is no single “right” answer at the outset. Ideas can be explored without immediate evaluation, which encourages contribution from people who might otherwise hold back.
Not every idea will be usable. That is not the point.
The point is to widen the thinking before narrowing the decision.
Creativity as a capability, not a trait
Creativity in organisations is often treated as a personality type. Some people “have it,” others don’t. Or an activity we bolt on if we have time.
In practice, creativity is an ability. It can be practised, supported, and applied deliberately. Methods like PO help make that visible. They give teams permission to think differently — not endlessly, but purposefully.
When paired with observation, curiosity, and disciplined follow-through, creativity becomes a way of moving ideas toward value.
That is where it earns its place at work.
This piece forms part of Cultivated’s wider body of work on how ideas become valuable, and how better work is built.
To explore further:
→ Library — a curated collection of long-form essays
→ Ideas — developing thoughts and shorter writing
→ Learn — practical guides and tools from across the work
→ Work with us — thoughtful partnership for teams and organisations
