THINKING- OUT OF THE BOX

PRESENTED BY:
BRIJESH KUMAR
DEFINITION

 Thinking outside the box (sometimes erroneously called "

thinking out of the box" or "thinking outside the square") is
to think differently, unconventionally or from a new
perspective.
 This phrase often refers to novel, creative and smart
thinking.
 The term is used as an adverb to describe the thinking or as
an adjective to describe the ideas.
 The catchphrase, or cliché, has become widely used in
business environments, especially by 
management consultants and executive coaches, and has
spawned a number of advertising slogans.
 To think outside the box is to look further and try not to
think of the obvious things, but try and think beyond that.
 The term is said to derive from a famous puzzle created by
early 20th century British mathematician Henry Ernest
Dudeney, in which someone is asked to interconnect nine dots
in a three-by-three grid by using four straight lines drawn
without the pencil leaving the paper.
 In order to be successful, the puzzle solver has to realize that
the boundries of the dot array are psychological.
 The only way to solve the puzzle is to extend the lines beyond
the artificial boundry created by the nine dots.
 One also thinks of the expression "boxed-in," or having
reduced choices.
 In the fast-paced world of information technology, employers
often say they are looking for someone who "thinks out of the
box."
NINE DOTS PUZZLE
SOLUTION..

 The "nine dots" puzzle. The goal of the puzzle is to link

all 9 dots using four straight lines or less, without
lifting the pen.
 One solution appears below.
 The puzzle proposed an intellectual challenge—to
connect the dots by drawing four straight, continuous
lines that pass through each of the nine dots, and never
lifting the pencil from the paper.
 The conundrum is easily resolved, but only if you draw
the lines outside the confines of the square area defined
by the nine dots themselves.
 The phrase "thinking outside the box" is a restatement
of the solution strategy.
 The puzzle only seems difficult because we imagine a
boundary around the edge of the dot array.
METAPHOR OF “BOX” REAL

 The "box" in the phrase "outside the box" is not

only a metaphor—it is real, measurable.
Speculating beyond its restrictive confines the box
can be both:
 (a) positive— fostering creative leaps as in
generating wild ideas.
 (b) negative— penetrating through to the "bottom
of the box."
 This could result in a frank and insightful re-
appraisal of a situation, oneself, the organization,
etc.
INSIDE THE BOX

On the other hand, the process of thinking

"inside the box" isn't always a bad thing.
It is crucial for accurately parsing and executing
a variety of tasks.
 Making decisions
 Analyzing data
 Managing the progress of standard operating
procedures
REQUIRED ATTRIBUTES

Thinking outside the box requires different attributes that

include:

 Willingness to take new perspectives to day-to-day work.

 Openness to do different things and to do things differently.
 Focusing on the value of finding new ideas and acting on
them.
 Striving to create value in new ways.
 Listening to others.
 Supporting and respecting others when they come up with
new ideas.
LATERAL THINKING / PARALLEL
THINKING
 Lateral thinking is a term coined by 
Edward de Bono in the book New Think: The Use
of Lateral Thinking published in 1967.
 It refers to solving problems through an indirect
 and creative approach.
 Lateral thinking is about reasoning that is not
immediately obvious and about ideas that may not
be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-
step logic.
 Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and
perceptions“.
TOOLS USED IN LATERAL
THINKING
 Lateral thinking is more concerned with the movement value
of statements and ideas.
 A person would use lateral thinking when they want to move
from one known idea to creating new ideas.
 Edward de Bono defines four types of thinking tools
 Idea generating tools that are designed to break current
thinking patterns—routine patterns, the status quo
 Focus tools that are designed to broaden where to search for
new ideas
 Harvest tools that are designed to ensure more value is
received from idea generating output
 Treatment tools that are designed to consider real-world
constraints, resources, and support.
RANDOM ENTRY IDEA
GENERATING TOOL
 Choose an object at random, or a noun from a dictionary,
and associate that with the area you are thinking about.
 For example imagine you are thinking about how to improve
a web site.
 Choosing an object at random from an office you might see
a fax machine.
 A fax machine transmits images over the phone to paper.
 Fax machines are becoming rare.
 People send faxes directly to phone numbers.
 Perhaps this could be a new way to embed the web site's
content in emails and other sites.
Parallel thinking means think both sides of the
coin.
Parallel thinking is best understood in
contrast to traditional argument or lateral
thinking.
With the traditional argument or lateral thinking
each side takes a different position and then
seeks to attack the other side.
Each side seeks to prove that the other side is
wrong.
PROVOCATION IDEA GENERATING
TOOL

Choose to use any of the provocation

techniques
Wishful thinking
 Exaggeration
 Reversal
Escape Arising
Create a list of provocations and then use the
most outlandish ones to move your thinking
forward to new ideas.
CHALLENGING IDEA GENERATING
TOOL

A tool which is designed to ask the question

"Why?"
For example you could challenge the handles
on coffee cups. The reason for the handle seems
to be that the cup is often too hot to hold
directly.
Perhaps coffee cups could be made with
insulated finger grips, or there could be separate
coffee cup holders similar to beer holders.
CONCEPT FAN IDEA GENERATING
TOOL

Ideas carry out concepts.

This tool systematically expands the range and
number of concepts in order to end up with a
very broad range of ideas to consider.
SIX THINKING HATS TECHNIQUE

 In everyday life, problem solving and/or decision making is

often a result of collaboration – within a group – of several
people with different thinking and planning styles. 
 This is evident in the academic, professional, or political
context. 
 Group members contribute according to their personality,
inner strengths and thinking styles. 
 Some people think strategically, methodically and with great
discipline, trying to foresee possible consequences, while
others people often “listen to their hearts”.
 Some people think from a very rational, positive viewpoint,
showing resistance to change, while at the same time they
don't make creative leaps.
 Other people are used to a more intuitive approach to problem
solving which makes them engage with passion into new ideas that
might not be very realistic based on socio-technical constrains of
the context. 
 It is necessary, however, to hear all voices and examine a problem
and possible solutions from various perspectives in order to
achieve pluralism in depicting the ideal solution.
 Example: Let’s assume that a town council is trying to decide
whether or not several local school buildings should be combined
into a new one, and what the options are for the use of the old
buildings if those become vacant. The decision makers have to
analyze all options, critically determine the advantages and
disadvantages of the suggested solutions, and do a risk assessment
of the outcomes before ending up with creative final solutions.
FORCES

Six Thinking Hats creativity method can be

used when there are time constraints.
The formation of groups (applying a hat) is
very easy while at the same time there is no
need of specific competencies of the
participants.
It is also proposed when the need of several
different opinions can be heard instead of
getting as outcome one and final decision.
SOLUTION..

Use a technique where you can approach the solution to your

problem from different perspectives
Using the Six Thinking Hats technique for looking at a problem,
decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in execution,
sensitivity, creativity and good contingency planning.
TYPES OF TASKS

 The collaboration process is broken down into six

“Divisions”, each corresponding to a thinking style and
represented by a “Thinking Hat”.  Members have to perform
their thinking within each division. 
 The guidelines for each division are:

•    White Hat:  be neutral, objective, and unbiased

•    Red Hat: be intuitive, emotional, and instinctive
•    Black Hat: be pessimistic & judgmental; think of
disadvantages
•    Yellow Hat: be optimistic, and hopeful; think positively
•    Green Hat: be creative, think out-of-the box (new
perspectives)
•    Blue Hat: manage, coordinate, summarize, facilitate
WHITE HAT

 Members who are working on the problem under the

White Hat need to collect data, group those, and
interpret information objectively and accurately. 
 The objectives of the White Hat are:

•    Exposition of statistical data

•    Concentration on actual facts
•    Acknowledgement of incomplete or inaccurate
knowledge
•    Suggestion of solutions that logically result from the
data
RED HAT

 Members who are working on the problem under the Red

Hat think with their “heart”. 
 They need to use their intuition and instinct to evaluate the
situation,
 Its outcomes, and the possible solutions (as those get
proposed by the other divisions). 
 The objectives of the Red Hat are:

•    Adoption of intuitive reactions

•    Awareness and evaluation of others’ feelings
•    Promotion of emotional views
•    Exposition of implied advantages of different approaches
•    Exposition of implied disadvantages of different
approaches
•    Exposition of contradicting outcomes
BLACK HATS

Members
 who are working on the problem under the Black Hat need to concentrate on the dangers and
flaws of each approach, and emphasize the worst case scenarios for any proposed solution. 
The objectives of the Black Hat are:

•    Identification of negative outcomes and their consequences 
•    Identification of flawed or weakly-supported contingency plans
•    Consideration of inadequate resources
•    Elimination of pitfalls and non-beneficial ideas
YELLOW HAT

 Members who are working on the problem under the

Yellow Hat need to bring forward optimistic ideas
which may provide opportunities for success. 
 The objectives of this division are:

•    Identification of benefits of recommendations

•    Evaluation of opportunities within proposed
solutions
•    Assessment of good-case scenarios
•    Assessment of feasibility of recommendations
•    Promotion of enthusiasm and motivation
GREEN HAT

 Members who are working on the problem under the

Green Hat need to vision the problem in a new, open
and unrestricted way, in order to generate creative and
unusual ideas.
 The objectives of the Green Hat are

•    Promotion of expanded and elaborate thinking

•    Application of extended rules (beyond reality
restrictions)
•    Envision of creative and non-habitual solutions
•    Consideration of new perspectives
BLUE HAT

 Members who are working on the problem under the

Blue Hat need to maintain focus.  They act as
arbitrators between divisions, directors of the problem
solving process, and coordinators of the group. 
 The objectives of the Blue Hat are:

•    Maximization of efficiency and effectiveness of

thinking
•    Facilitation and direction of the thinking process
•    Determination of agenda, goals, and responsibilities
•    Organization of ideas and recommendations
THREE PILLORS OF CREATIVITY