In the January issue of The American Surveyor, Wendy Lathrop shares her insights about thinking outside the box. Sometimes it's a good thing, but depending on the circumstances it can sometimes get you in trouble. In general, we need to be open to new ideas, learning new methods and new concepts that can expand our horizons and improve the way we accomplish our work, especially in light of the rapid pace of technological change in the world around us.
There are times, however, when thinking too far outside the box can have serious ramifications. Even though Wendy's article refers to examples in the surveying industry, the concept applies to every person and every business. One example is thinking so far out of the box that you commit to deliver a product to a client, but you lack the proper training or expertise to perform the work accurately and on time. As Wendy states, "Learning from scratch is not optimal under pressure of deadlines and budgets."
So, bottom line, it's usually OK to think at least a little bit outside the box... unless you're a cat. Enjoy Wendy's full article at this link.