<P> Thinking outside the box ( also thinking out of the box or thinking beyond the box and , especially in Australia , thinking outside the square ) is a metaphor that means to think differently , unconventionally , or from a new perspective . This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking . The term is thought to derive from management consultants in the 1970s and 1980s challenging their clients to solve the `` nine dots '' puzzle , whose solution requires some lateral thinking . This phrase can also be found commonly in dance , as encouragement to move creatively , beyond simple , geometric box steps and their basic variations , to literally step outside the box into more complex patterns of expression . </P>
<P> Thinking outside the box ( also thinking out of the box or thinking beyond the box and , especially in Australia , thinking outside the square ) is a metaphor that means to think differently , unconventionally , or from a new perspective . This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking . The term is thought to derive from management consultants in the 1970s and 1980s challenging their clients to solve the `` nine dots '' puzzle , whose solution requires some lateral thinking . This phrase can also be found commonly in dance , as encouragement to move creatively , beyond simple , geometric box steps and their basic variations , to literally step outside the box into more complex patterns of expression . </P>
what does out of the box thinking mean
what does out of the box thinking mean
think differently , unconventionally , or from a new perspective
think differently , unconventionally , or from a new perspective