Got a Wild
Idea?
The creative process involves more than
thinking outside the box
Thinking Inside the box is something you should do after
thinking outside the box.
VERY often, you hear people use the phrase "think outside the
box" in reference to creative thinking.
That is, thinking that is not inhibited by existing
paradigms, limitations or constraints.
Though "thinking outside the box" is important for
the generation of new ideas, the creative process involves more
than just idea generation.
For a successful creative process, you have to
start by:
• Finding a topic to work on,
to give direction to idea generation;
• Generating ideas;
• Selecting the good ones;
and
• Turning the ideas into
reality.
Taking this four-stage creativity process. and
marrying it with the analogy of the "box", I will put a little spin
on it and suggest that other than "thinking outside the box", you
will need to "look for the box", "think inside the box" and "plan
for the new box" to have a complete creative process.
1
Look for the box
"Looking for the box" is about looking out for opportunities to
innovate.
The "box" here refers to the existing way of doing
things, for example, the existing product, service or process.
Many people do not look for opportunities to make
things better.
Without seeing those opportunities, you simply do
not have a starting point for your creativity.
So, you must look for the box by being observant
and deliberate to seek out those opportunities.
You see this quality very often in inventors and
entrepreneurs; they search for unfulfilled needs in the market and
create products or solutions to fulfil them.
Curiosity plays an important part in looking for
the box.
A curious person will challenge the status quo and
question if there is a better way to do things and, in the process,
finds opportunities for innovation.
A degree of healthy dissatisfaction with the
current state of things is also important to spur you on to look
for the box.
This is not about idle grumbling. Healthy
dissatisfaction comes from the belief that there is always a better
solution and it leads to action.
When you have found the box, you may move to the
next stage to think outside the box for creative ideas.
2
Think outside the box
The "box" here refers to existing paradigms and
assumptions.
often, it is by breaking away from the existing
paradigms and assumptions that we see new ways to do things.
Brainstorming, if done effectively, is an excellent
way to think outside the box.
One obstacle that stands in the way of thinking
outside the box is self-censorship.
People often do not bring up a "wild" idea because
they are not sure how doable it is or if others will accept it. So
they either hold back the idea or modify it into a more
"acceptable" form.
However, it is the wildness of the idea that brings
newness. To overcome self-censorship, you have to suspend your
analysis and judgment and just go with the flow. Let the ideas flow
regardless of whether they are doable.
When a sufficient number of ideas are generated,
you may then go to the next stage to work on the "doability" of the
ideas by "thinking inside the box".
3
Think inside the box
"Thinking inside the box" is about the process of
making an idea doable within existing limitations.
The "box" here refers to the existing constraints,
such as budget, time, resources and technology.
Very often, you find that your brilliant idea is
blocked by constraints.
Thinking in the box is about thinking of ways to
tweak or modify the new idea - without losing too much of its
originality - into a doable one within the existing
constraints.
Architects often do this when they design a
building on a fixed plot of land.
A helpful thinking process is to first list out the
constraints and then think of ways to eliminate or work around
them.
You will not always be successful in finding a way
to overcome the constraints but when you do find one, the payoff
will be huge.
After you have found ways to make undoable ideas
doable, you can move next to "plan for the new box".
4
Plan for the new box
This stage is about identifying the necessary steps to carry out
the idea.
The "box" here refers to the complete solution that
comes out of the new ideas.
Unless a complete solution is formed and carried
out, ideas will just remain ideas and will not bring benefit
anyone.
Planning for the new box may be mundane. It is not
as exciting and fun as thinking outside the box.
But a good action plan makes all the difference
between success and failure.
A good illustration of this is when engineers
carefully plan and successfully execute the building of avant-garde
structures.
What comes after the planning is the action.
Commitment and follow through are all critical to the success of
the creative process.
You should also start again to seek for the next
box to work on.
Being creative is an ongoing journey.
Creativity
at work
For creativity to bear fruit, the process must move beyond
having great ideas.
These four broad stages of the creative process
that I have discussed may serve as a simple guide for leaders and
team members to exercise their creativity in the workplace.
Article by Dr Lum Phui Yuen of ThlnkingSphere, a company that
works with its clients to develop creative leaders and teams. For
more information. email [email protected] or visit www.thinkingsphere.com
CATS Recruit, The Straits Times, Friday December 28 2012, Pg
C24