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Puzzle ?
Nine Dots Puzzle
First draw a row of 3 dots, then another directly under and finally a 3rd row, so you have 3 rows of 3 dots.
The challenge: only using 4 straight lines without going over any lines connect all 9 dots.
When most of us look at the field of nine dots, we imagine a boundary around the edge of the dot array. In doing so, we limit ourselves to trying solutions to the puzzle that only link the dots inside the imaginary border.
The result is futility. We can only solve the puzzle if we realize that there is no border, we must remove that limiting assumption from our minds, and then we can draw lines past the edge of the field to connect the dots.
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Thinking outside the box Assumptions and perspectives
The difficult part about challenging assumptions is identifying the assumptions. Essential Marketing are very experienced at thinking differently with the advantage of perspective. Designing a new motorcycle might mean writing down assumptions like "speed matters," "it has to run on gas" and "it needs two wheels," not because you expect to prove these wrong, but because challenging these can lead to creative possibilities. Besides, maybe the time has come for an electric three-wheeled motorcycle.
Essential Marketing can get out of the box by "assuming the absurd." It is either a fun or an annoying exercise, depending on how open-minded you can be. We start by making absurd assumptions, then finding ways to make sense of them. An easy way to do it is by asking "what if." Time for another example:
What if my carpet cleaning business was better off with half as many customers? It seems absurd, but I work with it for a while. Hmm...less stressful. Could be more profitable if each customer was worth three times as much. How is that possible? Commercial jobs with large, easy-to-clean spaces (theatres, offices, convention halls) make more money in a day than houses, with fewer headaches.
Essential Marketing can focus on getting those accounts, and stop soliciting new house-cleaning accounts. That could be the most profitable way to go - not so absurd.
Thinking outside the box Inside the box
Thinking inside the box means accepting the status quo. For example, Charles H. Duell, Director of the US Patent Office, said, "Everything that can be invented has been invented." That was in 1899: clearly he was in the box!
In-the-box thinkers find it difficult to recognize the quality of an idea. An idea is an idea. A solution is a solution. In fact, they can be quite pigheaded when it comes to valuing an idea. They rarely invest time to turn a mediocre solution into a great solution.
More importantly, in-the-box thinkers are skilful at killing ideas. They are masters of the creativity killer attitude such as "that'll never work" or "it's too risky." The best in-the-box thinkers are unaware that they drain the enthusiasm and passion of innovative thinkers while they kill their innovative ideas.
They also believe that every problem needs only one solution; therefore, finding more than one possible solution is a waste of time. They often say, "There is no time for creative solutions. We just need THE solution."
Even great creative people can become in-the-box thinkers when they stop trying. Apathy and indifference can turn an innovator into an in-the-box thinker.
In only one case is in-the-box thinking necessary. This comes from a cartoon: a man talks to his cat and points to the kitty litter box. He says, "Never ever think outside the box!"
Outside the Box
Thinking outside the box requires different attributes that include:
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Willingness to take new perspectives to day-to-day work.
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Openness to do different things and to do things differently.
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Focusing on the value of finding new ideas and acting on them.
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Striving to create value in new ways.
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Listening to others.
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Supporting and respecting others when they come up with new ideas.
Out-of-the box thinking requires openness to new ways of seeing the world and a willingness to explore. Out-of-the box thinkers know that new ideas need nurturing and support. They also know that having an idea is good but acting on it is more important. Results are what count.
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