Comments on: A Simple Test http://www.steveshapiro.com/2007/06/07/a-simple-test/ Steve shares his unconventional approach on Business Innovation, Creativity, Goals and Critical Thinking Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:12:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Erin http://www.steveshapiro.com/2007/06/07/a-simple-test/#comment-26632 Erin Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:14:58 +0000 http://www.stephenshapiro.com/2007/06/07/a-simple-test/#comment-26632 I had a similar real-life experience. When taking the dog for a walk to purchase a newspaper, the leash got caught after the vending machine door closed on it. I left the dog and dashed across the street to my house to grab more quarters. I shoved the quarters in but failed to get the door to release. Panic set in as I ran back for more quarters and worried that the 90-lb dog might be able to drag the newspaper vending box into the morning traffic in an attempt to follow me. I finally managed to get the leash free and return home with the "$3 newspaper", the leash and the dog. When my visiting parents asked why I looked so rattled, I told them about the incident. My dad just grinned and asked, "Why didn't you just unsnap the dog from the leash?" It was then that I realized that I had been so focused on one end of the problem that I hadn't stepped back far enough to consider the situation as a whole. If I had shifted my perspective, I might have seen the solution (the opportunity) was at the other end. I had a similar real-life experience. When taking the dog for a walk to purchase a newspaper, the leash got caught after the vending machine door closed on it. I left the dog and dashed across the street to my house to grab more quarters. I shoved the quarters in but failed to get the door to release. Panic set in as I ran back for more quarters and worried that the 90-lb dog might be able to drag the newspaper vending box into the morning traffic in an attempt to follow me. I finally managed to get the leash free and return home with the “$3 newspaper”, the leash and the dog.

When my visiting parents asked why I looked so rattled, I told them about the incident. My dad just grinned and asked, “Why didn’t you just unsnap the dog from the leash?”

It was then that I realized that I had been so focused on one end of the problem that I hadn’t stepped back far enough to consider the situation as a whole. If I had shifted my perspective, I might have seen the solution (the opportunity) was at the other end.

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