David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc

Blend horizontal thinking into your project management by fostering a collaborative culture by forming cross-functional teams, ensuring open communication, and adopting agile methodologies. Encourage idea sharing across all levels, empower team members with autonomy, and promote continuous learning. This approach not only drives innovation but also enhances adaptability and problem-solving, leading to more effective project outcomes.

The first step is to facilitate open communication by organizing a team meeting. This meeting should serve as a safe space where each team member can voice their concerns, challenges, and suggestions without fear of judgment. Emphasizing the common goal of patient care and the value of each role within the team can help align perspectives. Listening attentively to each member not only helps in understanding the root causes of the struggle but also demonstrates respect and value for their contributions, setting the stage for collaborative problem-solving and improved teamwork.

To address a complex healthcare issue, leveraging horizontal thinking is key. This involves breaking down silos between departments and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. By creating a task force of diverse experts—doctors, nurses, IT, admin, and finance—we encourage the exchange of varied perspectives. This collective brainstorming can lead to innovative solutions that might not emerge within the confines of a single department. Regular meetings and open communication channels ensure continuous knowledge sharing and adjustment to strategies based on real-time feedback, thus solving the problem more effectively and creatively.

Fostering a culture of strategic thinking and innovation can be done with horizontal thinking principles. It involves encouraging collaboration across all levels and departments. Emphasize open communication and diverse perspectives to break down silos and inspire creative solutions. Implement regular brainstorming sessions and workshops that promote cross-functional teamwork. Encourage risk-taking by creating a safe environment for experimenting with new ideas, and recognize and reward innovative contributions. Embed this approach in the organization's values and leadership practices to sustain a culture where horizontal thinking thrives.

When you're facing a major challenge, use the concept of horizontal thinking. Vertical thinking is when you see a problem in front of you and dig really, really deeply into that problem to try to understand it and come up with a solution for this problem. Horizontal thinking is when you see the same problem in front of you, but you say, I'm going to look horizontally at all of the other problems and all the other solutions that may be able to potentially fix this problem. Ask yourself, is there a similar challenge that might be faced in another industry that I could learn from? Can I talk to someone in that industry that can help me to solve the problem that I'm facing?

I like to use a concept called horizontal thinking. Horizontal thinking is when you see the same problem in front of you, but you say, I'm going to look horizontally at all of the other problems and all the other solutions that may be able to potentially fix this problem. Ask yourself, is there a similar challenge that might be faced in another industry that I could learn from? Can I talk to someone in that industry that can help me to solve the problem that I'm facing?