In This Issue: October 25, 2007

• That's not a knife Creativity, cooking and problem solving.
• Marketplace Creativity books to get your creative juices flowing.
• Michael's Speaking In the coming months I'm speaking in Mumbai and Sorrento.

Warm wishes,

Michael Bungay Stanier
Principal, Box of Crayons

PS - Know any creative thinkers? Please forward Outside the Lines to anyone you think might be interested.

"That's not a knife...THIS is a knife!"

You might recognize one of the great quotes from Australian cinema - Crocodile Dundee - in the subject line.   (It was when my Canadian wife could say that in a perfect Australian accent (and sounded like she meant it) that I knew our relationship was here to stay...).

But what was really interesting was the problem it helped me to solve - how to fine tune my new office space.

As some of you may recall, I moved into a new office a couple of months ago, leaving behind the comfort and familiarity of my home office.  The move has been great ... and it's also clear that the office isn't yet what I hoped it might be.

===============
Danger! Creativity at work
===============

And this of course is one of the genius things about our brain - our capacity to make connections.

In fact, someone one defined creativity as making new connections between known things.

If you're stuck, what that means at its heart is you can only see one way to do what you need to do - and you don't like what you see.

If you can generate new possibilities, then you have choice.  If you have choice, you have your freedom back - and you're unstuck.

And one of the best ways to create new possibilities is to add "new stimulus" into the mix, and shake your brain up.

Let me give you an example, combining the article on knives with my challenge to make my office space more successful.

==>  Knife tip #1  You only need two, a chef's knife and a boning knife

The question underneath that:  "What if the solution was "two"?"

My insight/idea: I only need two types of "space" in my office, one for efficient "good work", and another for more creative, planning, ambitious "great work"

==>  Knife tip #2:  Use your steel and keep your knives sharp

The question underneath that:  "What need sharpening?"

My insight/idea: Clutter is already dulling the space.  I need to sharpen up the "put stuff in my inbox" process

==> Knife tip #3: Find a knife your hand really likes

The question underneath that:  "What's the best fit?"

My insight/idea: The room doesn't yet feel comfortable.  What about a radio, so I can listen during the day?  And a heater, now that winter's setting in.  And put some art on the walls

==> Knife tip #4: Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better

The question underneath that:  "What's the cheap and cheerful solution?"

My insight/idea:  Buy flowers every Monday for the table, so I've got something living in the room (besides me!)

Think of a challenge you're facing, one you'd like to bring some creative thinking to.  (It's worth spending some time on this - the art of thinking creatively about a problem starts with making sure you're working on the right problem).

First, jot down ideas you've already got.  (That way you're clearing out the brain, ready for some new ideas).

Then spend a couple of minutes per question - and see where they take you.  Aim to have at least five new ideas per question.

1. If the solution was "two" - one to do one thing, one to do another - what would it look like?

2. What's needs sharpening?  What has got dull?

3. What's the best fit?  What would be comfortable?

4. What's the "cheap and cheerful" solution?  What's the "over priced" solution?

Don't take my word for it

Smart folks thinking out loud about creativity

"Whatever creativity is, it is part of a solution to a problem."
-Brian Aldiss, English writer

"Creativity comes from a conflict of ideas."
-Donatella Versace, Italian designer

"The chief enemy of creativity is "good" sense."
-Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist

"Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and the pupil are located in the same individual."
-Arthur Koestler, Hungarian-British writer

"Creativity is a highfalutin word for the work I have to do between now and Tuesday."
-Ray Croc, American founder of McDonalds

Marketplace

1.  The ultimate "new stimulus" book

If playing with knives worked for you, you might enjoy Get Unstuck & Get Going on the stuff that matters.  It's built on the deepest principles of creativity, and gives you 125,000 different ways to think about a challenge from a new perspective.

Joyce Wycoff, one of the leading thinkers on creativity said, "It's a
fresh, useful approach to creative thinking that gently guides you into
new ideas and then gives you a thoughtful template to guide your implementation path.  I opened the book at random and found a totally new way of looking at something I've been doing for years."

And if you buy the Complete Program, you'll get (amongst other great bonuses) the ebook "The 12 most powerful get unstuck questions in the universe - and why they work."

2. Another great creativity book

Tim Hurson's excellent new book Think Better is finally on the market.  It's a tried and tested innovation process, and I think it's terrific stuff.

I've persuaded him to give the readers of OtL a deal.  Here's what's up for grabs...

If you buy Think Better now, Tim will send you a copy of his online personal productive thinking took.  It's a mini version of the material in the book and you'll be able to step through the productive thinking model to address any issue you might have. At the end, you're mailed a transcript of the entire session.

All you need to do is send Tim an email and tell him what tenkaizen means (there's a chapter in the book all about tenkaizen) Send your answer in a private email to Tim Hurson

You can see all the resources I recommend in a single place - my "Michael Recommends" page.

You can see all the listings on my Bookshelf here.

Got It Going On: Michael's Speaking Gigs

There are some upcoming public workshops in Mumbai and Sorrento.  Details for Mumbai will be coming soon, but you can find out more about Italy here.

"The day was a huge success. My team felt invigorated with the new skills learned and found it extremely beneficial to practice the new techniques on a 'real life' example. Michael gave us some very practical tools and insights, but was also flexible and accommodating to the needs of the group. I have great confidence that my team will continue to apply the learning."
- Melissa Gasson, Director, Kraft Canada.

Could I be of service to your organization? If you are responsible for booking speakers or organizing conferences, or know someone who is, find out more information here.

About Michael

Michael Bungay Stanier is the guy behind The Possibility Virus, an organization that provides products and services so people can have lives of fun inspiration and action.

To learn more about his corporate offerings, see BoxofCrayons.biz

You can find out more by contacting Michael directly at michael@boxofcrayons.biz or (+1) 416-532-1322

Subscribe - To subscribe to Outside the Lines click here or go to PossibilityVirus.com.

Reprint - I'd be delighted if you should wish to reprint (for free) any part of Outside the Lines in your newsletters, websites, and message boards. Simply include the following attribution:

Michael Bungay Stanier is a professional keynote speaker, the author of the best selling coaching tool, Get Unstuck & Get Going ...on the stuff that matters and the creator of Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun and The 5.75 Questions You've Been Avoiding. A certified coach and Rhodes Scholar, he works with teams and organizations to help them do less Good Work and more Great Work.

Schedule - Outside the Lines is distributed on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. Your contact information is never traded, never rented, never sold.

I send out an extra email one to three times a month detailing programs and offers.

*Outside the Lines is read in at least 173 countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherland Antilles, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, St Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe!
Did I miss your country? Let me know!