Think Out Of The Box / Five Boxes

Last month, I made a presentation on Creative Thinking at the Personal Administrators
Convention. To think creatively there are dozens of approaches and in my workshops,
I work through methods like Fish Bone Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, Convergent
and Divergent Thinking, TRIZ, Brainstorming, Synectics, Da Vincian Methods and
(ahem!) Mind Mapping.

This time, I simplified the language for the layman and, uhm, excuse me, for the laywoman too.  So, if you want to generate a lot of ideas, pick out good ones, test them and then make them practical see if the following works for you.


* First, think deep and hard "into the box." Do this until your head hurts. Of course,
for many of us, this is the natural choice. That's why migraines exist.
* Second, think far and away and "give up on the box." This will allow synergization
from your unconscious and will also draw in what exists in the environment outside
of you.
* Third, if you discover many boxes or ideas, take two contrasting ones and "blend
the boxes."  Consider ideas which generate disagreements, because there may be wisdom
in the sides you are blind to.
* Fourth, "invert the box." Study it from an end that does not work and also empty
out its contents and elements. This may make you bolt out of your bathtub, naked,
screaming "Eureka!"
* Fifth, "explain the box." Simplify and state the purpose and the benefits the
box will bring to your world. Tell as if you were talking to a seven-year old.

There you go! Hope the abstracts make concrete the technique for you. If not I will
need to work the last step or, perhaps, all five of them. If you wnt to see the slide presentation and/or the video clips click 

Slide Presentation of Unleashing Creativity [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=cpuza7cab.0.0.65lq6mcab.0&ts=S0403&p=http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Frcyk93&id=preview]

Video Clip of Monk in Black [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=cpuza7cab.0.0.65lq6mcab.0&ts=S0403&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D0zmak2DiTpA&id=preview

Seize the day!

Raju Mandhyan

Author, Coach and Trainer

www.mandhyan.com