Why suggesting to think outside the box hurts you
[This post is part of a series on creativity. If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Thinking outside the box is to think differently, unconventionally or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking. Who wouldn't want that, at least when the situation calls for it? The question is how we achieve it, either in ourselves or in others, like in teams we're leading. The problem is that suggesting to someone to try to think outside the box doesn't help them achieve outside-the-box results. Jacob described an experiment on just this matter, documented in Weisberg's book. The term "outside the…
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March 2, 2011
