THE 9 DOT EXERCISE
THE 9 DOT EXERCISE
This puzzle is an example of context versus content. To understand these crucial concepts, let’s define them first…
Context: that which surrounds, and gives meaning to, something else.
Content: things that are within; something that is contained.
A good example of this is water in a vase. The water in the content and the vase provides the context defining the shape the water (content) will take. In business we sometimes focus all our energy on the content when questioning the context of the issue might serve us better. The 9 Dot Exercise is a great experiential tool to show this concept…
The rules are simple; connect all 9 dots using a maximum of 4 straight lines without lifting your pen off the paper or retracing back over an existing line.
Most people will see a square and mentally add lines around it creating the context with which to solve the puzzle. Doing this makes the problem virtually impossible to solve regardless of how much energy and focus we put into solving it.
Below are a few of the usual solutions:
However, if you remove the context of the “square” and think, literally, “out of the box”, the solution presents itself rather quickly.
By eliminating the self-limiting, invented context, the solution becomes obvious. How many times in business and our personal lives do we just try harder with the same context? Quite often thinking about an issue differently (context) makes it much easier to solve for.
This is one of the many key concepts in the Six String portfolio of Coaching Tools for Success model. The coach provides the opportunity for entrepreneurs and small/expanding business owners to think differently about issues, providing a new context that can help solutions develop and solve problems. “Earn More, Work Less and Enjoy the Journey”
Sign up for my free Introductory Workshop and learn more about the 9 dot lessons and other powerful, immediately useful tools and concepts that help transform your business and life. Thanks.
Craig MacNaughton – Six String Coaching & Consulting (804) 240-9005
“Earn More, Work Less and Enjoy the Journey”