Thinking outside the box

This anecdote shows how redefining

problems can generate new insights.

A gardening equipment firm chal-

lenged a meeting of engineers to

use their collective thinking power

to come up with a new kind of lawn

mower. After some humming and

ahhing, the engineers came up with . . .

not very much. Some tinkering and

slightly novel refinements, but noth-

ing to create a splash in the market-

place.

Then one of the engineers suggested

that they return to the original prob-

lem; but to ‘go back one step’ and

express it in terms of function.

Instead of the engineers thinking

about how to redesign lawn mowers,

which meant that their thoughts fol-

lowed the usual paths, he said they

should think about ‘machines to help

people maintain lawns’.

This small, even niggly, distinction

made all the difference. The engi-

neers even created an entirely new

product, based on the imaginative

insight of one whose son liked play-

ing with yo‐yos. They invented the

strimmer, which involves a nylon

string whizzing around, thus adding a

new annoyance to neighbours every-

where. The power of Critical Thinking!