What if the limits your company faces could be broken? When was the last time you recognised that the barriers in business operations were being melted away? Every company wants to stand out, and thinking outside the box has become the way to generate new ideas. It’s a metaphor used to describe a proactive approach to problem-solving. The aim is to forget company limitations and use unconventional and novel ways to expand businesses, and it’s proving effective.

What is ‘thinking outside the box’?

Educators have applied it to critical thinking classes, and businessmen now apply it as “agile methodology.” In the 1970s, management consultants gave clients the famous ‘nine-dot puzzle’ which perfectly demonstrates the method. The only solution can be found by identifying that the problem is not the shape or length of the lines, it is the box itself. 

Companies often get stuck looking at today’s world through yesterday’s lens. Today we’ll get into outside-the-box strategies that have redefined the business landscape and how they can solve problems in your business.

It's time to broaden our horizons and uncover the endless opportunities that come with thinking outside the box.

Thinking outside the box

Broaden your scope

So sometimes economies go through a real shake-up. Expanding the company's scope is thinking outside the box in its simplest form, basically breaking free from the norm and exploring new avenues.

In 2007 (a seismic year for the housing market) Airbnb burst onto the scene with a wild idea. Rather than staying in a traditional hotel, travellers could bunk down in someone else's spare room. Sure, it sounded a bit out there at first—who in their right mind would stay at a stranger's place?

By tapping into the sharing economy and leveraging the power of the internet, Airbnb created a platform where homeowners could make cash using their spare rooms and travellers could find truly unique accommodations. Suddenly, your next vacation didn't have to mean squeezing into a standard hotel room. Now you could cozy up in a Parisian flat or snooze in a Costa Rican treehouse, all thanks to Airbnb's stroke of genius. Outside of the box? What box?

Brain dump

One method that's been gaining popularity lately is the classic Brain Dump. Think of it as a free-form ideation technique, or a ‘brain-storm’, but with a big emphasis on expressing thoughts and ideas uncritically. It could be a freewriting session where the team unloads anything on their mind onto a blank page. Anxieties, to-do lists, emotions – brain dump sessions promote bringing all of these things into the light. 

By creating a judgment-free zone, businesses can apply the collective brainpower of their teams to even the trickiest problems. Take Google, for instance. They're famous for their "20% time" policy, where employees get to spend part of their workweek on passion projects. An idea that came from a brain dump session. This freedom has led to game-changing innovations like Gmail and Google News, proving that giving staff the space to explore off-the-wall ideas can pay off big time.

So, embracing the brain dump promotes more than just thinking differently, it helps to remove limitations and gets into the mindset of innovation. It's about daring to dream big and rewriting the rules of what's possible.

Ask for outsider input

Now let’s aim to give your company's creativity a boost. Instant internet connectivity now means companies don’t have to rely on in-house designers forever. How many times have we seen companies scratching their heads over a new marketing campaign? They've gone through each stage of brainstorming internally for ages, but every idea seems to hit a dead end. That's the cue to reach out beyond the office walls. 

This could be the perfect opportunity to get outside of the box (of internal feedback) and get some words of wisdom from the outside. Invitations can be given out to valued customers, or even just product enthusiasts. They’ll share their thoughts in a focus group or team up with a quirky marketing agency known for their out-of-the-box ideas. By tapping into outsider input, they inject a burst of something new.

LEGO nailed this approach with their "LEGO Ideas" platform. Instead of sticking to their own designers, they opened the floodgates to LEGO enthusiasts worldwide. These eager beavers pitched new ideas for LEGO sets and came up with tons of fresh new concepts. By embracing outsider input, LEGO shook up the toy industry, proving that people who operate outside of the box can help companies understand it better.

Gamification

Gamification infuses game-like elements into routine tasks to make them more engaging and enjoyable. It steps beyond the usual boundaries and promotes creativity through games.

How about the innovations of Duolingo, the language-learning app everyone's been using for years? Instead of slogging through textbooks and endless grammar drills, they turned language learning into a game. Users earn points through ‘streaks,’ unlock levels, and even compete with friends, all while mastering a new language. In the same way that a teacher gives stars to a standout student's performance, this app rewards productive work with in-game items.

Now, imagine more businesses taking a page from Duolingo's playbook. They could have employee training blossom into a game with rewards and challenges. Or, how about injecting some healthy competition into sales teams with leaderboards and incentives? 

By embracing gamification, companies show they're not afraid to think differently, and that they understand the principles of reward systems. They're willing to ditch the old-school approaches and get creative. When your team is having fun, who knows what brilliant ideas might pop up? You might find your staff are more capable of breaking free from the norm and unleashing that innovative spirit.

Work backwards from the goal

Let's say your team's got this big mission: launch a spanking new software app in just six months. Sounds like a stretch, right? But here's how flipping the script and working backwards makes it totally doable.

First, picture the grand finale: it's month six, and bam! You've got this sleek, bug-free app that's everything your users ever wanted. Now, let's rewind from there:

• End of the line, month 6: The app's out there, dazzling users left and right.
• Stretch from month 5 to 6: It's crunch time with user acceptance testing. You're making sure the app doesn't just work but wows.
• Roll back to months 4 and 5: Here's where the app's in the hands of early testers. They're poking around, and you're on standby to zap any bugs they find.
• Back up to months 3 and 4: All the app's features are in place. Now you're on bug patrol, squishing any that pop up.
• Reverse to months 1 through 3: You're building the heart of the app, focusing on those must-have features first.
• All the way back to month 1: This is where it all kicks off. You're sitting down with the stakeholders, getting a crystal-clear picture of what they want.

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By starting from your victory lap and backtracking through each milestone, you've got a clear roadmap. Plus, spotting potential slip-ups early means you're always a step ahead. Pretty neat ‘out-of-the-box’ strategy?!

Four-day workweeks

Going for a four-day workweek is a fresh way of shaking things up in the work world. It steps away from that old-school, 9-5, Monday to Friday routine, giving everyone more room to breathe. It gives employees that extra day off to get stuff done, without necessarily skimping on the work that needs doing. When people are happier and less stressed, they tend to knock their work out of the park anyway. It's a win-win that's all about working smarter, not longer.

In 2019, Microsoft Japan took a bold step with their "Work-Life Choice Challenge," opting for a four-day workweek without cutting pay. The outcome was surprisingly positive:

The team's productivity, judged by sales per employee, soared by almost 40% from the year before. They also saw a substantial drop in resources used: electricity consumption dropped by 23%, and paper printing plummeted by 59%. This not only saved costs but was also better for the environment.

Perhaps most telling was the staff's response: an overwhelming 92% preferred this new schedule over the traditional five-day week.

This trial proved that shortening the workweek could lead to happier employees and a smaller environmental footprint. Microsoft Japan's venture outside the conventional work schedule demonstrated the many benefits of flexible, innovative work arrangements. What a great way to think outside the box!

Delivery disruption

Nowadays, companies are constantly on the lookout for fresh ways to shake things up. Let’s look at delivery disruption – a term for thinking way beyond the usual delivery routes. It throws caution to the wind and delivers packages in ways you'd never expect. Let’s be honest, traditional systems need a little shake-up now and then.

Take a gander at Amazon. They've got their wild delivery system called Prime Air, where drones swoop in to deliver (lightweight) packages. Currently operating in Lockeford California and College Station, Texas, 2024 has plans for new locations in the UK and Italy. It's like a sci-fi movie come to life, and it's redefining how we think about getting goods from point A to point B. By embracing these out-of-the-box delivery methods, Amazon’s drones deliver packages while delivering innovation into the logistics industry.

By climbing aboard the delivery disruption train, companies can help future logistics teams explore outside the box. As new delivery options become available, being ready to embrace new systems of delivery shows the world that you're not afraid to color outside the lines of business.

Subscription focus

In recent years, there were thousands of companies that used to sell goods one time and hoped for repeat customers. Traditional payment systems meant that a focus on ‘subscription’ wasn’t really part of public consciousness. Now the game has changed, and it hasn’t been this way for very long. Let’s take a little look at how Dollar Shave Club did it.

Shaving. A process as old as time. What they did was imagine from the customer’s perspective. Instead of scrambling to remember to buy razors every few weeks, they could wake up each Monday morning to find a fresh batch waiting for them at their doorstep. No hassle, no fuss - the delivery process is as straight as a razorblade.

Dollar Shave Club redefined the entire shaving experience. By offering a subscription service, they turned a mundane chore into a seamless and hassle-free process. For their customers, it wasn’t just about convenience either. DSC established trust and loyalty with points schemes, and customers knew they could rely on them to deliver products when needed, without fail.

By thinking outside the traditional payment box and embracing subscriptions, companies can forge deeper connections with customers and stay ahead of the curve in today's shifting marketplace.

Emphasize ethics

Most companies see their bottom line as the most important company ‘lifeblood,’ but there's a weapon that some savvy brands have mastered, which is emphasizing ethics. By doing this they show that their mission is not solely on profit – and TOMS is a shining example of how thinking outside the box changed the game.

TOMS introduced a model that aimed to create a huge impact. Their "One for One" model wasn't just a marketing gimmick – it was a bold move to address a global need. For every pair of shoes sold, TOMS pledged to donate a pair to a child in need. They combined practicing good business with planting good karma.

By putting ethics at the forefront of their brand, TOMS captured the hearts of consumers everywhere. TOMS inspired a wave of socially conscious companies to follow suit, such as Patagonia and Nudie Jeans.

For businesses looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace, emphasizing ethics can illustrate a deeper longing for a closer customer connection. It shows they want to do some good, not just do well, and it shows staff that bottom lines do not have to create a business box.

Why not apply thinking outside the box in a new location? Try out one of our team retreats!

Sometimes it’s hard to get outside the box if you’re always in the same location. So why not consider a fantastic cure, a team retreat?! Imagine the usual confines of your office settings melting away on a sandy beach or taking the time to appreciate nature on a countryside retreat. A quick change of environment can be as revitalising as a complete office overhaul. Think outside of the box? What box?

Like this idea but not sure how to put it all together? No problem, this is where Surf Office comes in.

We've had the pleasure of organizing over 700+ retreat experiences, including remote teams, for many different companies. Here’s how what we offer:

• Stress-free transfers? We got you! ✅
• Quality-assured accommodations? Check! ✅
• Engaging team-building activities? Our speciality ✅
• Restaurant reservations? That's on us! ✅
• Expert retreat planning assistance? Of course, we have this covered! ✅
• Onsite support, tailored to your needs? Absolutely ✅

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Not only this but we also have access to 150+ locations around Europe, APAC, the US and now Latin America, meaning the sky is your limit when it comes to choosing the right location for you and your team.

Allow your mind to leave the box of ideas and allow us to sort out the tricky logistics! Book now, spaces are limited!