When I was younger, I couldn’t quite figure out why I didn’t like my boss.
And let’s be honest, that’s not exactly the situation you want to be in.
Disliking the person you spend 50 hours a week with? It’s a recipe for endless stress and creative constipation.
But there I was, disliking him.
Now, it wasn’t the obvious stuff. Was he friendly?
Sure.
Would he let you clock out a little early on Fridays?
Absolutely.
Yet something about him just grated on me, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
I’d try explaining it to friends: “He’s… I don’t know, he’s annoying!”
And my friends would wait with blank faces, wanting me to elaborate, but the words never came out right.
It took years of reflection to figure it out. The problem wasn’t him, per se.
The problem was his ideas.
Specifically, his talent for generating the absolute worst type of business ideas.
Let me explain.
The Three Types of Business Ideas
I’m not usually a fan of absolutes, but here’s one I’ll stand by: there are only three types of ideas in business.
- Good Ideas
- Bad Ideas
- Lateral Ideas
And spoiler alert: the worst kind isn’t what you think.
Good Ideas
Let’s start with the obvious ones—good ideas.
Good ideas are, well, good.
Groundbreaking insight, right?
These are the ideas that drive actual progress. They’re your money makers; they attract customers and give you that sweet ROI that makes you want to fill a bathtub full of gold coins and bathe in it.
Good ideas are actionable, measurable, and what you should focus on.
Examples?
- Sending more emails to your list.
- Updating your messaging based on customer feedback.
- Asking your current clients for referrals.
- Investing in technology to make your work easier.
These ideas are the golden retrievers of the business world. Loyal, reliable, and always delivering results.
Bad Ideas
Now, let’s talk about the screwups: bad ideas.
Bad ideas are those ambitious-but-disastrous moves that make you want to build a time machine just to strangle your past self.
Like:
- Dumping a fortune into online ads but forgetting to create a landing page.
- Ignoring customer feedback and rolling out a product that flops harder than a beer belly in a swimming pool.
- Engaging in shady practices that bring lawsuits faster than you can say “cease and desist.”
Bad ideas hurt. They cost you money, reputation, and often your sanity. But here’s the kicker: they’re not the worst ideas.
Why? Because bad ideas teach you something. They force you to confront mistakes, grow, and (ideally) never make that blunder again.
Lateral Ideas: The Silent Killer
And now we get to the real villain of this story: lateral ideas.
Lateral ideas don’t move you forward. They don’t even push you backward. They just… keep you busy.
It’s the professional purgatory of the business world.
Ever been in a meeting about a meeting, talking about the meeting you had last week?
Ever spent 45 minutes debating whether to email or call someone, only to do neither?
Ever burned an entire afternoon arguing over whether the PowerPoint should be blue or light blue?
Congratulations. You’ve experienced the soul-sucking vortex of lateral ideas.
Lateral ideas are the productivity equivalent of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
They trick you into thinking you’re accomplishing something when really, you’re just spinning your wheels.
Why Lateral Thinking is So Dangerous
The worst part about lateral ideas is they feel productive.
You’re busy! You’re doing things! You’re contributing!
Except you’re not.
All that time debating fonts, scheduling endless meetings, or tweaking details is time you’re not spending on real opportunities.
While you’re arguing about the color of the deck chairs, the iceberg is looming, and the lifeboats are getting crowded.
And that’s what I realized about my boss.
He wasn’t a bad guy. He was just stuck in a loop of lateral thinking—spending time and energy on work that wasn’t actually getting us anywhere.
How to Avoid Lateral Thinking
Does this mean you shouldn’t care about details?
Of course not.
Details matter.
But they’re not the main event.
Here’s how you avoid the trap:
- Prioritize Outcomes: Before diving into anything, ask yourself: will this move us forward? If the answer is “maybe,” rethink your approach.
- Embrace Discomfort: Good ideas require risk. Bad ideas require reflection. Lateral ideas? They just require comfort. If something feels too easy, or too pointless, it’s probably a lateral idea.
- Stay Focused: Don’t let the small stuff derail the big picture. You’re here to build something meaningful, not win a debate about email subject lines.
Full Circle
Lateral thinking is the productivity killer you didn’t know you had. It’s sneaky, insidious, and far too common in workplaces everywhere.
So, stop debating the font size.
Stop scheduling meetings about meetings.
And for the love of all things good in business, start focusing on what actually matters.
Stay focused. Move forward. Get things done.
Because good ideas build empires. Bad ideas build lessons. And lateral ideas? They just build frustration.
(and blog posts)
Please like, comment, share, and tell me what you think. Have you experienced this?
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I got a chuckle out of this. So true, often in meetings we just want to pound our fist on the table and say, “Get on with it!” Nicely written.
So happy you did, thank you for reading!
Great post! My husband who works in corporate would agree 💯
Thank you so much! I’m sure he has his horror stories of pointless meetings
I don’t even work in a corporate office and I completely understand this concept. There’s not much less productive than doing something just to say that you did something, and overall not accomplishing anything of significance.
It’s so true, applies to everything in life!
you follow my blog since how long? : D Found myself in yours! I do – when I work a great job! I absolutely ruined myself in the aspect of marketing – where my text became more about myself – look at how sexy I look like – wow the time of my life to share all my private problems with everyone . I would argue that working online is also about alturism and conscious text writing not so much – wow look at myself – wow. : D I def. lost myself here. Its important to keep a bit conscious of why again do I write and do I need to write every day? maybe i move back to wrtiing once a month is ok- and then with intend :O and also not to take myself too serious – consider writing as a journey – let go freely and keep it together as well.
“All that time debating fonts, scheduling endless meetings, or tweaking details is time you’re not spending on real opportunities.” Exactly. Lateral idea generation and something else I feel like I see all the time — the endless tabling of decisions — are killers. Absolute killers. They hurt the business, but they also suck the joy out of work. Ugh.
In boxing if nobody is doing anything you can score points just by moving your hands. That’s what a lot of “business” seems like to me. We have to do something to show that we’re doing things, so lateral ideas rule the land.
In the world of education, and excuse me all who are already in the know, every freaking meeting is about a meeting we had last week, which may or may not reference a meeting we had last year. A total waste of time. Ok, I’m now. Really.
Hey, you. Yeah, you. Why did you say “Ok, I am now.” What is that a Doctor Who reference? What you mean to say, if you don’t mind, is…”Ok, I’m fine now. Really.”
I’m here for it!!
I’m dealing with the same situation. Our newly hired/promoted boss is just “something” 🙄
That’s not fun, for mine, I always tried to ask myself what do I like about them and think maybe they’re just under pressure but yeah it’s annoying AF
“Stay focused. Move forward. Get things done.” 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Yessss!!
Absolutely!! One step at a time, thank you for reading my friend
Oh man, funny 😂 I can relate. 37 years at an IT giant… one “quality program” after another… filling out colossal forms, 100s of hours, for the “Malcolm Baldridge’ award… six sigma… “find something to measure” …endless meetings, PPTs as colleagues droned on and on about bwah bwah… even the mgrs were bored. Great post 😎
I left my previous job because my CEO was a thumbnail correction addict!
I enjoyed reading this! When you break it down, it makes sense about ideas. I can takeaway that the focal point is to “move forward.”
Always move forward but don’t forget to smell the roses
Your writing has a way of resonating with me on a deep level. I appreciate the honesty and authenticity you bring to every post. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting – it makes writing so much easier
Wow. This is why I hear people rave about remote work. When they work remotely, they rarely have to deal with this kind of garbage and just work. Get shit done like you said.
Amazing post. Thanks!
Nicely written, Anthony!