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I have just finished reading this great article by Lauren McKeon, “Deep Thoughts” from Canadian Business magazine on how to better foster creative thinking in the workplace. Below are my “deep thoughts”.

“Thinking outside the box” has become no more than a catch phrase in many of today’s run of the mill organizations as people are more comfortable in their routines, or “ruts” as McKeon refers to them. Creative thinking is being replaced by repetitive thinking; what works before can be modified slightly and work again and again – rinse and repeat.

Tim Hurson, author of “Think Better” conveys that the best “a ha!” moment is better than sex. This gets me thinking - maybe there is something wrong with my “a ha!” moments. Hurson does not believe that traditional creative-thinking facilitators, like consultants, or in-house innovation strategies are cutting it, as in his opinion, “ideas are the stuff of life.” How can you possibly think outside the box if you have never lived outside the box. Now saying this, I am not hoping all those who read this decide to go out and adopt alternative lifestyles in order to get that next big idea. But just consider getting out of your routine, moving outside of your comfort zone to seek your answers.

McKeon relates a story to depict this, “Two senior New York City businessmen visited a tattoo parlor to obtain edgy insights into the healthy habits of the young and hip. They came back with fake shoulder tattoos and unique market information that they couldn’t have obtained by sitting in an office.”

While I won’t be lining up to get a tattoo in the near future to spark a great thought, I do understand the relevance of getting out of the daily grind in order to think. While concepts of having fun are not necessarily top priority in most organizations, it is when people are having fun they are most likely to come up with new and innovative ideas. In order to foster real creativity in Hurson’s opinion, organizations must be open to having a little fun, and being open to all the ideas that are brought forward.

Well, I am off to have some fun right now, and perhaps I will experience one of those “a ha!” moments that Hurson is referring to, because the ones I have right now, are definitely not better than sex.