Think Outside the Box

I was recently reminded in Singapore, how we can become set in our ways and fail to think outside the box. While walking from the Central Business District area to my office in China Town, I stopped at a pretty looking cake shop to buy some cakes to celebrate one of our team member's birthdays. I couldn't believe my luck, just as I was thinking of what I ideally wanted, as if by magic, the perfect shop appeared. The beautiful silver boxes with silky blue ribbon stacked up high to the ceiling and the most enticing bite sized cakes were just what I pictured.   

I was so pleased with my find, as this meant I didn't have to search all over Singapore in my high heels (I'd much prefer my comfy Bali flip flops, not quite the right 'corporare' perception though).  I proudly re-assured myself that this wonderful stroke of luck happened because I had made a mental note of what I wanted and so it was on my radar.  Now this is true, I wouldn't normally notice a pretty little cake shop - well not unless the cakes looked totally irresistible -   and if I hadn't thought of it, there would have been no cakes for us at our team meeting.  As in life, we have to think of what we want to make it happen.


Excitedly, I counted out on my fingers the number of cakes I needed for my team and informed the young Asian shop assistant that I wanted an assortment of seven cakes. The conversation went along these lines:-

"Much cheaper you buy nine cakes," barked the assistant at me.

I looked at the sign that showed the prices and even with my slow mental maths ability worked out that it was cheaper to buy seven as opposed to nine cakes, so I replied, "No it isn't. I have to spend more to buy nine cakes."

"Cheaper per cake you buy nine," she retorted.


"Well yes, cheaper per cake, but I only want seven cakes and seven cakes are cheaper than nine, so I'll buy seven," I retorted back, chuffed with myself that I hadn't given in to this marketing gimmic and besides who in my team would have the remaining two cakes if I bought nine?!

While counting out and pointing to which cakes I wanted from the glass cabinet, I had my eye on the silver boxes which would make the cakes look even more presentable. My enthusiasm was soon short lived when the assisant proceeded to stuff my cakes into a little plastic container, that appeared from below the counter.

"Could you put the cakes in one of those boxes?" I politely enquired, eagerly pointing to the much prettier boxes, "It's for a birthday," I added expectantly. 

"Cannot," snapped the assistant. This somewhat curt remark is referred to as 'Singlish' - a combination of English and Singaporean - either it 'can' or 'cannot' with nothing before the verb.


"So, how can I have a box?" I asked, wondering if the boxes were put on display just to lure in innocent passersby.

"You buy nine cakes."


"Ok I'll buy nine cakes," I capitulated, knowing that it would be no good fighting my case or raising my voice because a rule had been set and this woman was going to stick to the rules.  

As I walked back to my office, I couldn't help think if that were me, I would have said 'go on then' and given a box away for somebody's birthday. This little episdode provided me with a great analogy of thinking outside the box. The following quotes sum up what 'thinking outside the box' can do for us:- 


"Always think outside the box and embrace opportunities that appear, wherever they might be." Lakshmi Mittal

"Traditional thinking is all about 'what is'. Future thinking will also need to be about what can be." Edward de Bono


What can you do to think outside the box? What opportunities could appear if you were to do this more? Rather than 'what is', what can be?


Enjoy!



Janet