Thinking Inside The Box - Are you able?

[Peter (IMC)]

Thinking outside the box, the cliche that is used a lot and was just mentioned in another topic, seems such a simple logic that everybody agrees with it. But to think outside the box, you first need to know what´s inside.

Do you know what's inside your box? If you think you do,.. think again. How big is your box? How small is your box? How many different areas are there inside your box? How do you really do the stuff that you do?

Anybody with enough travel experience will be able to tell you that what they really learned from all their travels is that their knowledge about their own culture has grown more than the knowledge about the other cultures they visited. You'd be amazed how much you learn about your own ways while traveling the world. And if you´re really honest, you won't always be that proud of your own county,. :)

Same thing applies to your business. In order to think outside the box, you need to first step out your box and look arround and get some experience. Then you will find out what it is you´re doing your self. And only then you will learn enough about your own box to actually think outside the box.

Are you able to think inside the box?

Are you willing to learn by looking what others do?

Are you willing to accept you are not what you think you are?

[carlos_p]

Actually, what you're reffering to is "thinking outside the box" — the concept which psychology and cognitive science calls "lateral thinking". This is what you are describing and it amounts to change your frame of mind and get a whole new perspective at things.
What you're calling "thinking inside the box" is what is usually reffered to as "vertical thinking".
To get a pretty good insight into these concepts and the underlying reasons/theories check Edward de Bono's books on the subject.

[h2cm]

You might find the site below of interest, a conceptual framework comprised of four 'boxes'. Ideal for individual and group reflection helping to furnish sociotechnical perspectives and answers to:

"Are you able to think inside the box?

Are you willing to learn by looking what others do?

Are you willing to accept you are not what you think you are?"

Originally created in the UK by Brian E Hodges -

Hodges' Knowledge Domains Model

http://www.p-jones.demon.co.uk

- can help identify and map ideas, issues, problems AND solutions. The model takes a situated and multi-contextual view across four knowledge domains:

* Interpersonal;
* Sociological;
* Sciences;
* Political.

Our links pages cover each care (knowledge) domain e.g. Interpersonal:

http://www.p-jones.demon.co.uk/links.htm

- Knowledge Management, Accessibility, HCI, ideas, education, accessibility, e-learning...

Peter Jones
Hodges' Health Career - Care Domains - Model
h2cm: help 2C more - help 2 listen - help 2 care

[Peter (IMC)]

That´s all very scientific, but I was trying to provoke some thought by the average marketer and/or business (wo)man... :)

For example, we have so many webmasters here that sooner or later are told to think outside the box, but never really do, because they are stuck inside their own box, without realizing it.

Going to a conference is a good, but not everybody can do that, so how do you get to experience what´s outside the box? What kind of advice can we give to people to actually experience the world outside their own business?

[Keimos]

Hi Peter (IMC), and geeks,

Thinking inside the box, " why would I buy my product from myself with the information I put out"

Keimos

[SteveGerencser]

Interesting topic Peter.. It's difficult for anyone to think inside the box since they spend all of their time in it.. It's an old trick, but what still works is to find someone that is totally illiterate in your field.. In this case the web.. Grandma, Grandpa etc., and sit them in front of a computer and have them try to do whatever your site wants them to do..

Watch them.. Learn from them.. See where they have issues.. Things we take for granted as common knowledge may not be so common..

[florabalance]

Yes, it is an interesting topic.

I think it is not really about thinking inside of the box which is what we habitually do, but seeing what our box is, defining it so to speak. Then we can see what thinking outside of the box might entail.

This is where the real opportunities lie, and also perhaps the most discomfort.

[Skywoolf]

I was recently told that I don't just believe in thinking outside the box but I don't even believe in pidgeon holes :)

When I was running a previous site I worked on it night and day for years and hardly ever visited any other sites. I felt like I was in a prison cell and eventually gave the site away. Now I am developing new sites and enjoying the time to research, compare, learn the skills I always wanted to learn and never had time, etc.

It is now easy to see that if I spent more time learning from other sites and less time in my "cell" with the previous site I could have had a lot more free time or could have developed a more efficient web site.

Reading Peter's example of traveling is what really made me realize what I have been doing. I am English but have not lived in the UK for 34 years. Travelling and living around the world does make you see your own country in a much clearer perspective.

My problem now is that I have been away from the UK for so long I hardly know what the UK (the box) is like anymore:)

[mantawebsolutions]

Peter, this is a very intresting topic. We sometimes have to stop to evaluate where we are, whether inside or outside of this box.

We get so wrapped up on the inside that we forget (or simply don't know) what's outside or we live outside of the box forgetting our "responsibility" for what's inside...

Like you said, only when we have gained some experience on the outside can we take what's on the inside out.

Sometimes I feel like a rope jumper skipping in and out (playing it safe) never venturing further outward or facing the dark places on the inside.

[HostEBiz]

Very interesting topic and I actually think that "thinking outside the box" is the secret to a successful business. Whether I actually do it is another matter but I consciously make the effort to do so. Quoting from Skywoolf above:

It is now easy to see that if I spent more time learning from other sites and less time in my "cell" with the previous site I could have had a lot more free time or could have developed a more efficient web site.

I've found that to be absolutely true and by far and above the best way to go about things: There's no point in trying to re-invent the wheel ; Better to look at what others are doing, figure out where your place is among them and what you can do differently. I think that's basically it.

Regards,