Box? What Box?

I recently wrote about common organizational issues which can confront teams who decide to “think outside the box”. As I organized my thoughts for that piece, I found myself reflecting on other aspects of “in the box”, “out of the box” thinking. Here are some of my thoughts:

As I wrote in my earlier article, “think outside the box” is one of those phrases that can really excite many of us. It invites creativity and exploration, and, by extension, improvement and growth. It opens the doors to new and hopefully better ideas and actions. It seems simple and straightforward; it sounds more like permission than challenge. And yet, there are challenges to be recognized.

WHAT BOX? The first element of getting out of our boxes is recognizing just what boxes we are in. A friend of mine used to say “It’s hard to read the label when you’re inside the bottle”. We all follow natural and habitual thought processes, and this applies to us individually and in groups.

As individuals, we think according to our psychological types (for instance, some of us are “hardwired” to think strategically and conceptually, and others to focus on data and facts). We have our opinions and personal philosophies and a wide variety of similar filters, all of which mold and shape our unique and habitual thoughts and attitudes. These patterns of thought have served us well over time, and have been accepted as reliable habits which are both efficient and comfortable for us. We trust and believe in them. These are our personal “boxes” of thought, and they are so normal to us that we are barely aware of them.

In groups, our individual thinking becomes morphed into different group “boxes”, and each group is unique. As we join with others in discussion, things begin to change. We adjust to the group, and the group adjusts to itself. Introverts become more reserved and extroverts dominate the conversation. Sensors focus on data and iNtuitives emphasize strategies. Alphas try to dominate and the more copacetic types roll their eyes in frustration.  More senior people in the group impose a degree of expectation that the group will conform to their preferred outcomes. All of the individual boxes in the group become altered and adjusted within the larger group box. (Which is precisely the purpose of having the group, as long as all the included participants have a respected voice!)

TO “THINK OUTSIDE OUR BOX” IS NOT NATURAL. IT’S A CHANGE FROM THE NORM. I briefly noted above that many people are more naturally inclined to think in conceptual ways than are others.  (About 30% of people prefer conceptual thought, as opposed to 70% who gravitate to data and facts.) Even these people, however, tend to think in habitual patterns and hold true to their cherished beliefs, perceptions and opinions. Overall, it is a hard thing for almost all of us to think in ways that are not routine, comfortable and familiar. We do know how to think as we naturally do, but we don’t really know how to think differently. It’s a bit easier for some, but something of a challenge to us all.

WHAT’S OUTSIDE OUR BOX? To make the challenge of “outside the box” thinking more imposing is the fact that we don’t really know what is out there for us to explore. I know what I have in my house, but I have no idea what’s in the neighbors’ houses. I know where to find my things and how to use them in my day to day activities, and they suffice. Some of my neighbors may have better things that could serve me more efficiently, but I don’t know what they may be or who in the neighborhood may have them. It’s a lot easier just to stay in my own house, work with my own possessions, and continue to get by as I always have.

When we stay inside our boxes we remain in the realm of competence and process and security. When we venture outside, we enter into the unfamiliar, the unknown, the realm of uncertainty and doubt. The box we know certainly seems to be the more inviting place to be!   

DO WE EVEN KNOW HOW TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX? The short answer, for most people, is no. We humans are creatures of habit. Habits are efficiencies that we trust and which help us to perform effectively in our lives and our work. Plainly, moving outside of these patterns requires deliberate effort and takes us, initially at least, into unfamiliar and uncomfortable new terrain. Because most of us do not regularly explore outside our boxes, the process itself is not well known and must be learned. The exploration needs to be purposeful, guided, methodical and structured in order to be effective. There needs to be a Why?, a What?, and a How?

SO JUST HOW DO WE DO IT? In my next (final!) article on this topic I’ll go into a bit more detail regarding the process of “outside the box” thinking. For now, let’s identify the first few action steps to get the process started.

STEP ONE: DEFINE YOUR BOX. Spend some time and effort understanding your personal or team inclinations and preferences of thought. Introspection is always a key element of such inner exploration, but to do it right we really need to call upon others to give us honest feedback. We all have blindspots of thought and opinion that we just don’t see, and only an outside observer can open our eyes to them.

I strongly advocate using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as the most effective foundation for such discovery, both for individuals and for teams. The MBTI is, by far, the most reliable indicator of psychological type and, when properly conducted and coached it offers clear insights into how our minds are “hardwired” to think, and therefore why we consistently think and act as we do.

The MBTI is generally perceived to be a tool for individual self-awareness, but it becomes far more powerful when used as a basis for building effective communications among individuals and within teams.

Finally, the MBTI can be very useful in charting the psychological types of all group members in order to discover the “group type” of any team, and to be able to observe the predictable, consistent natural biases and inclinations of the group. To graph its “box” and identify its blindspots.

STEP TWO: RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGE. Build on the knowledge of your own box and begin to plan how best to venture out of that box and into the unknown. It will require changes in your thinking and perhaps even your structure. Some people are naturally more inclined to creative thought and many others resist it just as naturally. Which type are you? Which type is your team? Do you need to bring in some people who know how to explore? 

Because “outside the box” is unfamiliar territory, you don’t know, at the outset, what’s out there or where to find it. Define the need. Do you need to get out of your box at all? What is the motivation, the purpose for venturing out there? What are you looking for and where do you think you should begin the search? How do you think you should begin the search?

STEP THREE: DEVELOP A PLAN AND GET STARTED. With the above questions answered, finalize a process and get started! As noted above, creative thinking takes us into the unknown, so we begin with some uncertainty, but we learn and grow as we explore. With a well-defined purpose, begin the search for new information, new learning, new processes and new results. Identify the elements you’ll need to discover and go find them. The key is, do it deliberately. “Out of the box” thinking is not just about happy thoughts and cool ideas (though they do have a place!). It’s about discovering new ways to achieve better results. Chart a process and get started now!

You don’t know what’s outside your box but you are going to discover new, different, often better opportunities than you expected. Have fun with that!