Squid #7 - Thinking Inside and Outside the Box

The Squid of Despair

We heard from our listener Mike B – thank you for your kind comments
We kicked off with a Terry Pratchett quote 'I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it'

Then moved on to three key questions:

1) should we get in the box right first 2) best way to think outside the box and 3) how far away from the box should we go?

Questioning the status quo is a good thing.

If everyone just accepted things the way they are, then there would never be any innovation or improvement in the world. If Thomas Edison had shrugged and figured things were good enough the way they were with gas lamps, light bulbs and the electricity to power them might never have been developed. If he hadn't thought outside the box, the world could be a very dim (literally) place.

If you view things as unchangeable, then nothing will ever change for the better. By thinking outside the box and questioning the status quo, you'll constantly be considering how you could improve an experience, product or service.

This allows you to keep growing -- and can lead to intelligent and forward-thinking decisions in business. Apple for example with iPods and iPhones

Try the 1954 9 dots puzzle – outside box thinking practical exercise