Strategic Planning - Thinking Outside the Box

Submitted by Mitch Seigel on Mon, 11/08/2010

Years ago I attended a marketing seminar and was introduced to the concept of thinking outside the box. It was through a brain teaser exercise where I had to connect nine dots on a page. I was able to figure out the puzzle and more important, I have remembered how to do it for more than twenty five years since that seminar.

I’d like to say I was able to figure it out because I‘m good at solving puzzles. The truth of the matter is that in my professional life as a media salesperson, I was often put in a position of having to find business from many non-traditional revenue streams. It has been a continuous process which has underscored a rewarding career.

As time has moved on since I learned the Nine Dot exercise I have had the opportunity to pass this message of thinking outside the box on to several others through guidance and training. It’s great to think outside the box, but I always advise others not to forget what’s inside the box, or you’re just robbing Peter to pay Paul. Eventually you may need to make adjustments to best practices or possibly replace certain practices with new ones, to accommodate advancements in your industry, whether it’s through modern technology or otherwise.

Today, enhancing or changing your methods is at the forefront. Those who can adapt to fast change will be successful. The world has been reduced through the technology available to us, and there’s no turning backward. Analyze, change, adjust, and then start all over again. That being said, we are human and can only move so fast toward new concepts, new positioning, new interaction methods.

My opinion is that thinking outside the box is now the rule, and not the exception, as it was when I first learned the concept more than twenty five years ago. I’m constantly thinking of how I can adapt to make myself more current, and then prioritizing one change after another.

I’d like to hear your opinion on thinking outside the box. Is it the rule or the exception? What have you had to do keep up with changes taking place around you?

Until next time…