PO (Provocative Operation)
A lateral thinking technique that uses provocative statements to challenge existing mental models and generate new ideas, without judgment or conflict.
THE IDEA
The Response to PO
Learn how to respond to PO before practicing its use. The response explains the purpose of the technique and lets people practice exploring a provocation together.
The points about the response to PO are as follows:
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PO is never a judgement. When PO is used to challenge something, it does not imply disagreement or doubt. PO is never met with a defense, exasperation, or rejection. Instead, it signals a joint search for an alternative structuring. PO serves to point out that a particular way of looking at a situation is only one view among many. It can act as an anti-arrogance device when a viewpoint appears to be held with unjustified certainty. There are two levels to this: first, merely suggesting that other ways of looking at the situation may exist; second, actively inviting a restructuring—asking for alternatives and even supplying them oneself. PO may be applied to a whole idea, a sentence, a phrase, a concept, or just a single word.
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PO may involve the provocative use of information. Information may be combined in fantastic or unjustified ways. The response is cooperative exploration, not condemnation or indifference.
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PO may be used as a protection. It can hold off judgment or override a rejection. The response is not to insist on immediate judgment, but to cooperatively explore the new situation.
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PO may be a relaxation. When tensions are high, PO can relax rigid viewpoints. The appropriate response is to respond with PO (a mental shrug and a smile) and relax the rigidity.
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PO may be used ambiguously. If unclear, simply ask for more specificity or agree to use it in a general way.
When to use it
Facilitating brainstorming sessions where ideas are explored without judgment.
Resolving workplace conflicts by de-escalating rigid positions.
Encouraging innovation in product design by challenging core assumptions.
Teaching creative thinking in educational settings.
Agreeing on PO as a shared signal before a team begins exploring provocative ideas.
Asking for a more specific provocation when a proposed alternative is unclear.
Combining information in an unusual way when familiar arrangements produce no useful ideas.
Practicing the difference between evaluating a claim and temporarily exploring what it might suggest.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Brainstorming Session
During a team meeting, a member says, 'PO: What if we eliminated all deadlines?' Instead of arguing, the team cooperatively explores alternative project management approaches, generating novel ideas without defensiveness.
Resolving Conflict
In a heated debate, one person says, 'PO: Let's assume the opposite view is completely true.' The other responds by relaxing their stance and exploring the opposite perspective together, reducing tension and opening new insights.
Business Strategy Meeting
During a strategy meeting, a team member insists on a specific approach. Another member says 'PO' to signal that this is just one possibility, prompting the team to brainstorm alternatives.
Personal Disagreement
In a personal argument, using PO can help de-escalate by acknowledging that one's own view is not absolute.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How can you use PO in your next team discussion to encourage creative alternatives without triggering defensiveness?
Think of a recent disagreement. How might applying PO have changed the outcome?
What is one assumption you hold that could be challenged with a PO statement?
When could you help a discussion by suggesting another interpretation of a single word or phrase?
How would you respond if a PO statement were too ambiguous to explore?
What information could you combine in an initially implausible way to look for a new approach?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Lateral Thinking A Textbook of Creativity (Edward de Bono)
- Lateral Thinking A Textbook of Creativity (Edward de Bono)