1. Dedicated to
“Thinking-Out-of-The-Box”

2. THINK
Outside
the Box!

3. There is ONE THING that
distinguishes human beings from
the so-called “lower animal forms.”
No, not skateboarding.
Not stock options.
Not the invention of the disco ball.

4. Thinking

5. Like the opposable thumb,
it comes with the territory of
being human.

6. Think about it.
We’re thinking almost all the time.
In the shower. On our feet. In our
dreams. Even at the office.
But just because we think, it
doesn’t mean we’re coming up
with anything very extraordinary.
For that, something else is required.

7. Creative Thinking

8. It’s what Einstein did.
It’s what Picasso did.
And it’s what YOU do…
That is, when you are “out of the box.”

9. Ah! The box!
THE BOX!
That much talked about, habit-
forming, mind-crunching, option-
limiting, six-sided, culturally
repressive thing that keeps the
genius within you imprisoned.

10. Why all this fuss about a box?
Boxes aren’t bad. Are they?
Chocolates come in boxes.
So do birthday gifts.
And Scrabble. And diamond rings.

11. Boxes protect.
Boxes contain.
Boxes convey.

12. True…
But they also confine,
constrain, separate, and limit.
(Especially when what’s contained within them doesn’t want to be there.)

13. Think cubicle.
Think prison cell.
Think coffin.
Think the closed mind of the person at work who is
almost always shut down to your new ideas

14. Which leads us to the
inevitable, existential,
frequently asked
QUESTION –
(one you will need to answer if
you ever expect to get out.)
What is this so-called “box” actually made of?

15. Opinions, vary of course.
But it is made of something.
And so, to get the conversation
rolling, we’ll suggest 6 things we
think it is made of – four for the
sides and one each for the top and
bottom.)
(If you don’t agree, you’ll get your
chance to name the sides in a moment.)

16. Ready for the first time
deconstruction of the mythical box?
(The mythical box)

17. Limiting Assumptions
• False conclusions
• Questionable hypotheses
• Misinterpretation of data
• Artificial lines drawn in the sand
“640 K ought to be enough for anyone.” – Bill Gates
#1

18. Addiction to the Status Quo
• Fear of change
• Conventionality
• Playing it safe
• Defaulting to “the way it’s always been.”
#2
“If you always do what you’ve always done,
you’ll always get what you always got.”

19. Hyper-Rationality
• Over-dependence on the left brain
• Analysis paralysis
• Excessive use of logic and linearity
• Premature evaluation
#3
“Not everything that counts can be counted; and not
everything that can be counted counts.” - Albert Einstein

20. Tunnel Vision
• Narrow mindedness
• Inability to see new connections
• Mental isolationism
• Silo-itis
#4
“Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone
else and seeing something different.” – Albert Szent Gyorgi

21. Intolerance for Ambiguity
• Settling for the first ‘right’ idea
• Excessive need for certainty
• Impatience with “process”
• Discomfort with transition and chaos
#5
“Now that we have met with paradox, we have
some hope of making progress.” – Niels Bohr

22. No Intrinsic Motivation
• Out of touch with your own fascination
• Lack of inspiration
• Inertia and lethargy
• Good soldier-itus
#6
“I will act as if what I do will make
a difference.” – William James

23. Oh, by the way, Bell Labs did a
study some time back in order to find out
why some of their research scientists were
“creative” and others weren’t. After six
months of intensive data collection,
interviewing, and interpretation do you
know what they discovered?
The scientists who thought they were
creative were creative. The scientists who
thought they weren’t creative, weren’t
creative.
A total self-fulfilling prophecy.

24. OK.
Now you know the names of
the six sides of the box.
But maybe you see them differently. If
you do, how would you name them?

25. Of course,
no matter how you describe the box, the
challenge remains: getting out.

26. And so, to get you going, choose the one
side that bugs you the most and commit to
one thing you will do to go beyond it.
1. Limiting assumptions
2. Addiction to the status quo
3. Hyper-rationality
4. Tunnel vision
5. Intolerance for ambiguity
6. No intrinsic motivation
To make this even more real, apply your “out of the
box” insight to your hottest, new project.

27. Next, take a cue from the
following six creative thinkers
who, by hook or by crook,
succeeded in finding their way
out of the box.

28. “Intuition will tell the thinking
mind where to look next.”
– Jonas Salk
What is your intuition telling you about
next steps with your hottest new project?

29. “Money never started an idea.
It’s the idea that starts the
money.” – William Cameron
What can you do this week to communicate your
hottest new idea to your most likely money source?

30. “If you have always done it
that way, it is probably
wrong.” – Charles Kettering
In what ways can you proceed differently than you
normally would with your hottest new project?

31. “Do not fear mistakes.
There are none.” – Miles Davis
What is your biggest fear about your biggest creative
pursuit? And what can you do to go beyond it?

32. “The new idea either finds a
champion or it dies. No ordinary
involvement with a new idea
provides the energy required to
cope with the indifference and
resistance that change provokes.”
– Tom Peters
What is it going to take in order for you to
really champion your most inspired new idea?

33. “If you do not express your own
original ideas, if you do not listen to
your own being, you will have
betrayed yourself. Also, you will have
betrayed your community in failing to
make your contribution to the whole.”
– Rollo May
Which original idea of yours do you need to honor
and express with more boldness and commitment?

34. Get Going Now!
Keep The Impetus up !!
Be Winners Always !!