Thinking Outside the Box courtesy of Creative Communities

Document owner: David Engwicht and Jodi Stojanov, Creative Communities (7day.com.au), 2015.
Purpose & how to use: David Engwicht's short book "Why most people can't think outside the box — 17 questions that will turn you into a genius" — a guide to outward-spiral creative thinking applied to community decisions. Use it when a Town Team or council is stuck in solution mode and wants a better way to define the real problem.
Who it's for: Town Team leaders, place-makers, councils and anyone facilitating community problem-solving.
Key points: The book contrasts "inward-spiral thinking" (jumping straight to a solution like a new car park) with "outward-spiral thinking" that spirals out before spiralling in, illustrated by the Traverse City case study where a parking complaint really meant "we need more customers in our tills." It walks through six techniques — find the base need by asking "but why?" repeatedly, name the contradictory needs, turn perceived deficits into assets, break the rules, ask what a fool would do, and prototype the future — and ends with a 17-question checklist for getting out of the box.