One of the most frequently used phrases in business today is “thinking outside the box.” I admit it’s crossed my lips more than a few times. I like what it stands for: creative approaches to challenges.
What continues to baffle me, however, is how we got in that box in the first place, and why it is so hard to get out.
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It can get downright claustrophobic.
I’ve written volumes on creativity. I admire people who use their right brain effectively. I applaud risk-takers. I hire people who demonstrate an ability to tackle a problem without getting tackled first.
Stanford University researchers have reached a startling conclusion: What we use as conscious brain energy is as little as 6 percent of our overall brain capacity! That figure can rise to 17 percent when you factor in what occurs within the subconscious brain.
Stanford offers this simplified explanation: The conscious brain is the processing center for new information, while the subconscious brain is responsible for memories, habits, emotions and creativity.
OK, then, even a scientifically-challenged individual like me can figure out that to get the best out of your brain, you need to engage the subconscious parts of your brain to really think outside the box.
Psychologist Jeff Magee says that most managers, and individuals in general, “never allow their minds the opportunity to succeed due to overweighing it with negative and pessimistic experiences and thoughts.”
So the solution should be simple: Stop thinking negative thoughts and have a more optimistic outlook on life.
Oh, that it were so easy.
You have to train your brain to see a new side of situations. Get a box cutter and slice away one wall of the box at a time. If the box has six sides, try these six steps toward new ways of thinking.
n Eliminate the phrase “because we’ve always done it that way” from your vocabulary and from your attitude. Sometimes the tried and true way works best, and sometimes it’s just easier not to try something different. But I am willing to bet that just as often, a new approach could save time or money and improve results. At least try it!
As my dear friend Curt Carlson, founder of Carlson Companies, used to say, “I’m not distracted by how things are.” By the way, Curt built a multi-billion dollar marketing, travel and hospitality empire with that kind of thinking.
n Seek the advice of the most efficient person you know. Ask that person for advice, even if your project isn’t in his or her particular area of expertise. Explain what outcome you are seeking, and work backwards. Efficiency is often translatable from one project to the next. And two heads are usually better than one.
n Consult with people at all levels of your organization. Perhaps you may have heard the story about the famed El Cortez Hotel in San Diego, where the owners wanted to install an additional elevator, and decided that they would have to close the hotel to do the extensive renovation. Finally, a maintenance worker suggested that they build it on the outside of the building, where it wouldn’t interfere with the floor plan inside, nor interrupt business as it was installed. Eureka!
n Read all about it. Trade journals are a good place to start, but still pretty close to the box. Business magazines and Web sites are a terrific source of ideas, which may not necessarily pertain to your business, but which may be easily adapted. NASA scientists and engineers have drawn inspiration from early science fiction works – your next great idea may be as close as the next book you read.
n Embrace change. Not just any change – the kind that makes things better. Don’t be afraid of your ideas. The old-fashioned suggestion box yielded some amazingly simple yet practical ideas. Thinking outside the box is not about how much money you can spend, or how bizarre your plan must be. It’s just finding a better way to do it, and then improving on that as necessary.
n Commit yourself to keeping an open mind. With all the walls torn down, the box should be pretty easy to get out of. You’ll feel like you got a “get out of jail free” card!
Mackay’s Moral: Boxes are great for storing things. Just don’t store your brain there.
Harvey Mackay is author of the New York Times best seller “Pushing the Envelope.” He can be reached through his Web site, www.mackay.com, or at Mackay Envelope Corp., 2100 Elm St., Minneapolis, MN 55414.
