Thinking Outside the Box
Leaving comfort zones or breaking rules can generate innovative ideas. Counterintuitively, a restricted environment (REST) can also improve creativity.
THE IDEA
Thinking Outside the Box
HOW TO COME UP WITH BRILLIANT IDEAS
A really innovative idea – rather than an old idea that has been applied to a new context, or a variation of an existing idea – is rare. Innovative ideas usually emerge when we leave our comfort zone, or when we break the rules. The example used here is the “nine-point problem,” which first appeared in puzzle magazines at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The task: Connect the nine points using a maximum of four straight lines without lifting your pen from the paper.
The solution: The trick is to extend the lines outside the box.
This puzzle is often used as an example of creative thinking. But don’t jump to any rash conclusions – because Dr. Peter Suedfeld, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, made an interesting observation. He developed the Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique (REST), which involves a person spending time in a darkened room with no visual or auditory stimulation. Suedfeld noticed that the subjects of the experiment didn’t go mad. On the contrary: their blood pressure went down, their mood improved and they became more creative.
A person who wants to think outside the box is better off thinking inside a box.
See also: Morphological box and SCAMPER
When to use it
Brainstorming new product features by deliberately imposing limitations like a budget or time frame.
Solving a business challenge by questioning underlying rules and assumptions.
Using a distraction-free environment to engage in deep creative work.
Encouraging team innovation by temporarily removing certain constraints before expanding options.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
The Nine-Point Problem
Connect nine points arranged in a square grid using a maximum of four straight lines without lifting the pen. The solution requires extending the lines beyond the perceived boundary, illustrating the need to think outside the box.
Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique (REST)
Dr. Peter Suedfeld's REST involves spending time in a darkened room with no stimulation. Contrary to expectations, subjects became more creative, relaxed, and had improved mood, suggesting that thinking inside a box (constrained environment) can foster creativity.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
What assumptions are you currently making about the boundaries of a problem you are facing?
How might a restricted environment help you focus and generate novel ideas?
Can you recall a time when breaking a conventional rule led to a breakthrough?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Decision Book Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking