Thinking Into The Corners

By Michel Theriault

Stop Thinking Outside The Box. When options are limitless, you'll miss the obvious. Instead, stretch yourself and your staff to find the valuable solutions waiting in the corners. Thinking outside the box doesn't work because we need an anchor or catalyst for our ideas, which are actually provided by the Box. That doesn't mean we can't make the box bigger, but it is always within practical boundaries. At the same time, we have internal filters and limits (the Circle) preventing us from stretching outside our comfort zone to develop ideas and discover solutions that should be obvious. Combining the Box and the Circle shows the corners where ideas are hidden or we haven't reached yet. So, there's no need to try thinking outside of the box when the solutions are within reach. Learn how to Think into the Corners to get results with this unique book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michel Theriault
• Release date: Apr 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9780993773310

Michel Theriault

Michel provides advisory and consulting services in strategic and management issues after many years in corporate and service related fields both as a client and as a supplier.He is a published book author, a speaker at industry conferences and writes for industry magazines.His clients are busy managers at all level who benefit from his ability to help them develop strategies, business cases and implementation plans for problems they want to solve or business areas they want to improve. Michel draws from a wide range of experience to help solve problems, improve services and reduce costs using best practices. His clients appreciate his outside view that isn’t clouded with the status quo or with a vested interest to defend.Michel has been profiled in magazines and newspapers as well as interviewed for various articles.A sought after speaker, he delivers seminars at conferences and provides training and workshops internationally in addition to consulting for clients.

Book preview

Thinking Into The Corners™

Quick Guides for Managers

Quick Guide #2

Michel Theriault

Published by WoodStone Press

www.woodstonepress.com

Toronto, Canada

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 by Michel Theriault. All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or electronically stored in any form or any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Print Edition ISBN 978-0-9813374-8-7 (available at most online retailers)

Published 2014 by WoodStone Press, Smashword Edition

Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is part of the Quick Guides for Managers series. For information on other related books in the series, visit http://www.successfuelformanagers.com/quick-guides/

This book provides general information on the subject. The reader understands that neither the publisher nor the author are providing specific professional services related to your unique situation or specific requirements, which may differ. It is your responsibility to ensure the information is relevant to your specific situation and apply it appropriately. Neither the author nor publisher shall be liable or responsible to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by using the information in this book.

Structure of this Book

PART 1 - FOUNDATIONS

·         Staying inside the box

·         Thinking into the corners™

·         Stretching into the corners

PART 2 - METHODS

·         Tackling the circle

·         Managing the personalities

·         Tools for stretching into the corners

·         Index

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. – Albert Einstein

Introduction

Thinking Outside The Box is one of those expressions that’s attained cliché status by virtue of the fact that people think it must be true—simply because it’s repeated so frequently.

While there's nothing wrong with trying to think more creatively, I would argue that thinking outside the box can waste a lot of time and energy by encouraging us to focus on ideas and solutions that simply are not feasible.

That’s not a productive use of resources. Worse yet, it can demoralize individuals who come up with ideas that can’t be implemented.

So the answer isn't about thinking outside the box.

What you really must learn to do involves stretching your thinking to find solutions and ideas that are within personal, professional and organizational constraints, yet deliver truly creative (and sometimes even inspirational!) results.

This book and the concept of Thinking Into The Corners™ will help ground your thinking in that direction.

As I’ve seen how this approach can be a catalyst for great ideas and innovative solutions, I’m hopeful it can inspire your own work and workplace.

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Michel Theriault

Using This Book

Part 1 - Foundations

This section explains the concept of Thinking Into The Corners™ and provides a step-by-step process you can use to implement this approach to get the best possible results from your team during brainstorming or idea-generating sessions.

Part 2 - Methods

Moving on from your new understanding of the process, Part 2 gives you the tools and techniques you need to apply the Thinking Into The Corners™ concept to your own problems.

Part 2 starts by addressing the individual or personal limits (which we will define as circle limits) that must be overcome to develop ideas and solutions more effectively.

It also addresses ways to reduce any negative impact from those limits, such as change-adverse push back that can prevent people from stretching into the corners or suppress the open exchange of ideas during group sessions.

Some of the most common tools for generating ideas are also discussed in Part 2. While some of the tools will be familiar to readers, the way you use these tools is what matters when it comes to applying tried and true tools to your Thinking Into The Corners™ process.

Part 1 - Foundations

While management consultants and business leaders everywhere have been telling us to think outside the box since the 1970s, that expression can be a barrier to generating effective ideas and solutions.

If everyone has to think outside the box, maybe it is the box that needs fixing. ~Malcolm Gladwell

The techniques we use to develop ideas are not the problem.

Nor is it wrong to view innovation as good. But it is problematic to assume that you and your staff have to come up with ideas that are so far out there that nobody's considered them before.

If we’re being honest, there's often a good reason we do the things we do, personally and organizationally. (Round wheels work precisely because they’re round.)

But if the principles of creative thinking are positive and the techniques we use to draw out new ideas and principles are still sound, where’s the problem? Perhaps the issue is with the way we frame the quest for innovation.

Instead of thinking outside the box, it’s time we set practical, limited and realistic boundaries.

This approach ensures you and your staff spend time and energy developing ideas and solutions that can be implemented.

Working within defined limits (a.k.a.: the box) also gives us an opportunity to test those limits—and set new boundaries.

That’s right. Instead of merely recognizing the barriers, we push them. The creative act of setting new boundaries thus begins with an honest look at what’s possible right now and then using that to discover what’s possible in the future.

Staying Inside The Box

We all have