What is meant by flexible thinking

Flexible thinking is the ability to see things from different perspectives, adapt to new ideas, and change your approach when needed. It helps with creativity because it allows you to explore multiple possibilities rather than getting stuck on one way of thinking.

Examples of flexible thinking include:

• Finding different uses for the same object: A glass jar can store food, hold flowers, or become a candle holder.
• Adjusting plans when something unexpected happens: If a recipe is missing an ingredient, a flexible thinker will find a good substitute rather than giving up.
• Exploring new ways to solve a problem: Instead of always using the same route, a flexible thinker might try different paths to find the fastest way.

By thinking flexibly, you can discover new ideas. A lot of this comes down to challenging our underlying assumptions of what something is, what should happen, or how it should work.

Why it is important to identify assumptions

Assumptions are beliefs we take for granted without questioning. While some assumptions are useful, others can limit creative thinking by making us ignore new possibilities.

For example a limiting assumption might be if someone believes that only professional artists can create beautiful paintings, they might never try painting themselves. This assumption stops them from exploring their own creativity.

Alternatively, assumptions might be focused on how something should be used or the process that always needs to be followed in a particular situation.  

By recognising assumptions, you can challenge them and open up new possibilities. Some questions to help identify assumptions include:

• Why do I believe this?
• Is there evidence to support this, or is it just something I have always thought?
• What if this assumption is wrong? What new options would that create?

This is much easier to say than to do, because so many of our assumptions are implicit - that is, we don’t even realise that we are making that assumption!

How to question assumptions to support creativity 

Once you identify your assumptions, you can challenge them to think in new ways. For example:

• Flip the assumption: If you assume a task must be done a certain way, ask, "What if I did the opposite?"
• Imagine a world where the assumption isn’t true: If you assume people won’t like a new idea, ask, "What if they loved it? What would make that possible?"
• Look for real-world examples that prove the assumption wrong: If you assume something can’t be changed, find examples of people who have done it differently.

For example, a person planning a community event assumes it must take place indoors because of unpredictable weather. By questioning this assumption, they might explore creative solutions like providing covered outdoor spaces or making the event adaptable to different conditions.

By staying aware of assumptions and challenging them, you can develop flexible thinking that leads to more creative ideas and solutions.