What is Thinking Out of the Box ?
Thinking out of the box is the mode of thought that dares to challenge conventional wisdom, it dares to question beliefs so deeply held by so many that they are considered almost sacred. Thinking out the box is an all too rare quality, but when applied it can bring revolutionary leaps in human progress. Even where the existing ways really are most appropriate, an "out of the box" critic can actually enhance their validity by forcing their proponents to justify them.
By contrast, thinking inside the box is following convention. doing what everyone else does just because that's the way it's always been done. Thinking in the box allows survival, but without innovation we cannot do much more than stand still and stagnate.
The notion 'thinking outside the box' is far more than just another management clich̩. It is a very powerful concept worthy of deeper consideration in today's complex and rapidly changing world. Thinking outside the box is never easy, nor is it merely a reflection of mental brightness. To leave your psychological comfort zone and explore "solutions in the unknown world on the outside requires large measures of mental agility, boldness, and creativity Рand/or an inspirational leader who makes life in the old box so uncomfortable that getting out is the only option. The future rests in those willing and able to do so.
Why Think Out of the Box?
Do we survive or thrive? If it ain't broke don't fix it runs the old adage. But evolution is based on the continued improvement of that which already works. From the very earliest forms of life that gained a foothold in a barren universe progress has come from doing things different than how they'd been done before. A common human tendency is to seek the acceptance and approval of our peers. Another is the desire to operate within our comfort zone. The first tendency means we tend to conform to popular opinion. Perhaps we feel safer in a crowd, are afraid of possible ridicule. Perhaps we once held contrary views, but have had these stifled by societal pressure. The second tendency means we simply accept what we are told because we are too lazy to think for ourselves. Add to those the conditioning to conform, be a good citizen etc etc etc...
And by following these tendencies we can survive the various trials of life. We can get a job, make enough to live, with perhaps enough left over for a yearly vacation. We'll certainly survive, but we'll be anonymous, and when our time on earth is finally done we'll leave behind nothing but the memories of a few loved ones. By thinking out of the box we give ourselves the chance to go beyond this bare existence and begin to fulfill the true potential of our earthly incarnation. Not everyone can be a Da Vinci or Einstein, but we can all try to maximize our own particular potential. Given the most precious gift of incarnation that is surely our most basic duty.
How to Think Out of the Box ?
Firstly, don't get in a rut. Avoid the comfort zone. Push yourself. Accept, and actively seek out new challenges. Take chances. Avoid routines, or if you end up with one, change it for change's sake. If you usually drink coffee at breakfast, try a cup of tea instead. If you normally take route A, try route B, or C, once in a while. Get into the habit of questioning and challenging established practice. Not all established practice is wrong, but where it is right, rising to a challenge will strengthen its claim to legitimacy. Is there a different way of doing this/that? Or rather how many different ways can you think of? Allow yourself freedom to brainstorm on a frequent and regular basis. In brainstorming phase accept everything that comes into your head, don't censor yourself. The wilder the idea, the better. Of course, brainstorming needs to be followed by rationalization, but at a later time. Keep a note of all your ideas, even the initially rejected ones. You never know when they might be useful.
Thinking out of the box is hard. It uses more energy and creates more stress than simply going with flow. Very few can comfortably operate out of the box 100% of the time. If we can employ that faculty 10% of the time we are probably doing better than 90% of the population. It follows that we need to judge very carefully which situations are worth making that extra effort for. Most times it's fine to drift along on auto-pilot, saving our out of the box thinking for things that matter to us most. All we can take from this world is experience, all else is illusion. We live each moment only once, so we might as well make the most of it. And we make the most of it not by accepting, but challenging accepted ways.
10 steps to Think Out of The Box
1 Be prepared for a big change.
To re-educate yourself and the way you think is almost a "lifestyle" change. Basically, you're re-inventing the wheel and you are the wheel. Indications that it might be time to change your way of thinking include:
- You're in a rut, you know you're in a rut, and no matter what you try, you fall back into the rut.
- You can't come up with a solution to a nagging problem. Finally, someone else does and the answer was an incredibly obvious one; it happens a lot.
2 Learn the terms.
If you're familiar with the terms, you'll be in a great position to do some research into out-of-the-box thinking. Some of the terminology for modes of "thinking outside of the box" are:
- Reframing
- Lateral thinking
- Process improvements.
3 Understand that, for a given problem, some people tend to come up with the more "creative" solutions.
The inability to do so does not reflect a person's intelligence. What it does indicate is that people with such solutions are the ones who are more willing, or need, to push themselves out of their comfort zone to get the answers they seek. Those who think outside of the box are usually:
- Willing to take new perspectives toward day-to-day work.
- Capable of thinking differently with an open mind, thinking about the substance of issues, and being receptive to doing things differently.
- Focused on the value of finding new ideas and acting on them.
- Ready to strive to create value in newer ways.
- Capable of listening to, supporting, nurturing and respecting others when they come up with new ideas.
- The driving force behind a lot of people who consistently think outside of the box is frustration. They don't feel that "enough" is being done, and that the "normal" way of thinking just isn't getting it done.
4 Learn what inhibits your ability to change.
The following characteristics lessen your ability to make a positive change in your thinking methods:
- Negative attitude.
- Fear of failure, perfectionism.
- Executive stress, or other stress.
- Following rules, hidebound to black and white thinking (not flexible, unable to perceive the value in gray areas).
- Making assumptions – about others, about the world, about the expectations you feel weighing on you, about your own abilities.
- Over-reliance on logic, along with assuming you have an accurate grasp of what is logical.
5 Challenge assumptions.
Just because it has always been that way, doesn't mean that it has to continue to be that way. In fact, by expecting things to never change, you're setting yourself up for a lot of pain and unhappiness when things – and people – do change around you, without taking you along. Ways to challenge assumptions include:
- Ask questions. Don't ignore your questions; give them free rein.
- Stop jumping to hasty conclusions. Haste makes waste and can leave you in hot water. Reflect over things until the better answer arrives.
- Look at something a different way, literally. Perhaps you've been hammering out a new design for something at work. You've been looking at this design for weeks, always in the same position. Try shifting it. Turn the design upside down, or take it out into the sunshine under the trees, or project it into the ceiling and have all of your co-workers lie in the floor to observe it. You'll be amazed at what a position change can do for assumptions and perspective.
6 Break free of dull routine.
Doing the same thing, day in and day out, will dull even the smartest person's mind. Find ways of minimizing routine in your life, while still embracing ritual – the two approaches are very different in result. Ritual is about daily or regular activities that center you, keep you well (such as exercise or yoga), and give you a sense of place and identity. Routine is about the things that cause you to fall into a rut, respond without thinking, and that often feel imposed upon you from elsewhere.
- Change it up, occasionally. Do things differently. Instead of photocopying all the documents first thing in the morning, email them around to everyone and tell them the copier's broken. Next morning, email everything again, telling everyone how well yesterday went and that you've decided to do it like this from now on.
- Change your appearance and clothes. Many a rut is given a swift kick when you treat yourself to a new look. It's a start, and a really fun one at that.
- Walk a different way to work, catch a bus instead of driving, bring your lunch in instead of eating out (or vice versa), go home early for a change.
7 Brainstorm.
Brainstorming can do amazing things to help you think outside-the-box. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Think of vague keywords like "coffee" and follow whatever this leads to next in your mind, and take it as far as you can go; this can lead to interesting ideas. For example: "Coffee" -> "Milk" -> "Spilled" -> "Unspillable milk and coffee container".
- Do brain teasers, puzzles, psychometric tests, etc., and challenge your brain to new ways of doing and seeing things.
- If you hated math, English or science, try it again; this time make yourself do it well. Force your mind to think down different pathways.
- Learn a new language, a new way of keeping inventory, a new way to be a great boss or lover.
- Write poems. Poems can spark your creative thinking.
- Visualize work or home solutions through drawing pictures rather than writing things down.
8 Think laterally.
It can be really beneficial to learn about how people do it in other walks of life. Whether you're a CEO, an engineer, a stay-at-home mom, or a teacher, there are ways of thinking laterally that can benefit what you're doing.
- Read about processes and solutions in industries different from the one you're working in. Chances are there are some amazing answers for you to uncover and apply to your situation.
- The same goes for cross-disciplinary studies. Instead of staying within your own expertise, branch out and investigate what other disciplines are doing in areas or topics that interest you. There may be some surprising connections worth uncovering and adapting.
- Sit down and talk with others who know nothing about what you're doing but are willing listeners. Explain your situation and challenges and ask for their thoughts on solutions.
Preeti Bagad [BE(CS)]
SW Engineer Cum Blogger
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