Helping Your Team Think Outside the Box

I wonder if there is anyone alive who doesn’t, or does, remember the group called Stealers Wheel and their hit song, “Stuck in the Middle With You.” No? Well, how about a song called “Waterloo” by a group called ABBA? That group, and their music, is much, much easier to remember.

The first group is known in the music industry as a “one hit wonder.” They had one song that briefly took off, but the rest of their songs, not so much. The second group, ABBA, was the opposite of a one hit wonder; they churned out song after song that topped the music charts all around the world.

ABBA sustained their success by continuing to produce new music that appealed to their fans. Of course, everyone also remembers what Stealers Wheel did to sustain their success… okay, maybe not.

Business in general is no different from the music business. Companies that continually produce new products or services, the kind that customers see value in, can sustain their success indefinitely. Companies that can’t continually innovate have a much more difficult time remaining competitive.

But here’s the thing: companies don’t actually innovate. The people who work in innovative companies do the innovating.

Companies that want to thrive in the future need innovative people today. There are only two ways that happens: either they hire innovative people or they help the people they already have become innovators. Innovators have a special trait that non-innovators are missing. They see things that don’t exist and say, “why not?” Then they set off on the path to making it exist. These innovators are consistently “outside-the-box thinkers.”

Helping your team think outside the box is crucial for innovation, creation, problem-solving, and developing new concepts within a team or organization. If you want to encourage your people to think outside their own boxes, here are some strategies to help them make that transition.

1. Create a Safe Environment for Ideas, Even Bad Ones

Why: People are more willing to share creative ideas if they feel safe from judgment or criticism.
How:

Encourage open dialogue where employees feel comfortable voicing unconventional thoughts.

Celebrate bold thinking, even if the idea doesn’t work out.

Use phrases like, “There are no bad ideas,” during brainstorming sessions.

2. Encourage Cross-Department Collaboration

Why: Exposure to different perspectives helps break habitual thinking patterns.
How:

Organize cross-functional team projects.

Set up “job shadowing” opportunities so employees can understand how different parts of the company operate.

Promote diversity in teams (skills, backgrounds, experiences).

3. Challenge Every Existing Assumption

Why: Questioning the status quo encourages innovative problem-solving.
How:

Ask “What if…?” questions to inspire alternative thinking.

Hold sessions where employees identify outdated practices and brainstorm ways to improve or replace them.

Encourage a mindset of continuous improvement.

4. Use Creative Exercises

Why: Structured creativity exercises stimulate lateral thinking.
How:

Brainstorming Sessions: Implement brainstorming rules, like “Quantity over quality” or “Yes, and…” to build on ideas.

Mind Mapping: Encourage visual idea generation by connecting concepts in non-linear ways.

Reverse Thinking: Ask employees to think about how to cause the problem instead of solving it, and then flip the insights.

5. Give Employees Real Autonomy

Why: Freedom to explore leads to unexpected and innovative outcomes.
How:

Allow employees to manage certain projects with minimal supervision.

Give them time to work on passion projects (e.g., Google’s famous 20% innovation time policy).

Trust them to make decisions and learn from mistakes.

6. Reward and Recognize Creativity

Why: Reinforcing creative behavior makes employees more likely to repeat it.
How:

Publicly recognize innovative ideas and efforts.

Create incentives for risk-taking (e.g., monthly awards for “most creative solution” or “most out-of-the-box idea”).

7. Encourage Learning and Exposure to New Ideas

Why: Fresh input sparks fresh ideas.
How:

Provide opportunities for employees to attend industry conferences, workshops, and seminars.

Encourage reading, podcast listening, or online courses that expose them to trends and creative thinking techniques.

Organize “lunch and learn” sessions where employees can share insights from what they have read or experienced.

8. Emphasize the Bigger Picture

Why: Seeing how their work contributes to the company’s overall goals can inspire employees to think beyond their immediate tasks.
How:

Communicate the company’s vision and how innovative thinking can help achieve it.

Set aspirational challenges or “stretch goals” that require out-of-the-box solutions.

9. Model Creative Behavior

Why: Leaders set the tone for how creativity is perceived.
How:

Share your own creative ideas and be transparent about your thought process.

Demonstrate curiosity by asking probing questions and seeking new approaches to problems.

10. Leverage Technology and Tools

Why: Digital tools can enhance collaboration and creative thinking.
How:

Use platforms like Miro, Trello, or Slack to facilitate idea sharing and brainstorming.

Encourage the use of AI tools that can provide fresh insights or generate creative prompts.

A couple more thoughts…

Don’t think only engineers can innovate. Innovation and out-of-the-box thinking can come from anywhere in your organization. In fact, sometimes engineers get stuck because they “know” something won’t work. Non-technical people often don’t realize “it can’t be done.”

Also, don’t listen to the naysayers who say “it” will never work. As he was preparing to release his version of a cell phone, many people told Steve Jobs it would never work and people “just don’t need a phone that connects to the internet.” Well, personally, I still think it will catch on someday and Apple’s out-of-the-box, way way out of the box, thinking will pay off.

You won’t find many “one hit wonder” companies that last very long. Companies that are always on the lookout for the next product or service, one that makes the lives of their customers easier or more productive, are companies that last.

By implementing these strategies, you can grow a workplace culture where thinking outside the box becomes the norm, unlocking new possibilities for innovation and success. Or, you can be stuck in the middle of a bunch of companies that could have been awesome but instead met their own Waterloo.