In or Out of the Box?

We've all heard people talk about "out-of-the-box thinking" in conversations, at meetings, or in the news media. But does everyone know the origin of this phrase? Maybe not. And not knowing, they have a slightly different concept in mind--different from its original intention or usage.

Hearing the term for the first time, one can guess at its intended meaning, or something close to it. Most people interpret the phrase to indicate an approach or perspective that is out of the ordinary or not typical. Or else they think of a particularly successful effort, akin to "hitting it out of the ball park."

What do you think it means?

The term actually comes from a simple but very effective exercise that is sometimes used in consulting, coaching, and teaching:

The group is given a puzzle to solve. It consists of nine dots, in the following configuration:

The challenge is to connect all the dots, using only four straight lines, and without lifting the pencil from the paper.

It seems a simple enough task, but they quickly learn otherwise. They try several approaches but they all end up not working; somehow there are some dots left over, no matter what they do:

Try it yourself before scrolling down. Remember: Only four lines, without lifting your pencil from the paper.
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Eventually, the solution is shown to them:

They then realize that the lines they were drawing to try to connect the dots were all within an imaginary box--one that existed in their own mind only. It was an assumption they had made, without thinking about it, or being aware that they were making it. That imaginary box made it impossible to solve the problem. Only by transcending those boundaries, and thinking outside of the imaginary box they had assumed, could they find the solution.

We can apply this experience to any problem we're working on: Am I imposing any imaginary limitations on possible approaches I might explore? And if I become aware of those ways of limiting my own thinking and behavior, can I now explore possibilities that are beyond my own assumed boundaries--strategies that might turn out to be effective and successful?

Your responses are invited. Can you think of situations in your own life/work, in which you may be needlessly limited by your own assumptions about unstated limitations?

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