2. Q1: The subway problem
‡ A large city in the United States had a problem with
thefts of lightbulbs from its subway system.
‡ Thieves would unscrew the lightbulbs, leading to cost
and security issues.
‡ The engineer who was given this challenge could not
alter the location of the light bulbs, and he had very little
budget to work with, but he came up with a very lateral
solution. What was it?
‡ (illustrates the need for innovation)
3. Q2: Shoe shop shuffle.
‡ In a small town, there are four shoe shops of about the
same size, and each carries a similar line of shoes.
‡ Yet one shop loses three times as many shoes to theft.
As each of the other shops.
‡ Why and how did they fix the problem?
‡ (more innovation)
4. Q3: The school inspection
‡ A schoolteacher knew that the school superintendent
would visit the next day.
‡ The superintendent would ask questions such as
spellings or mental arithmetic of the class, and the
teacher would choose a pupil to answer.
‡ The teacher wanted to give the best impression of the
school.
‡ What instructions did she give the children, in order to
create the best impression and maximise the chances
that the right answer was given to each question?
5. Q4: The unusual
‡ what can you dry your hair with, cut the grass with and
lift a car with?
‡ (sometimes solutions are obvious, don¶t make it harder
than it actually is)
6. Q5: Price tag
‡ many shops have prices set at just under a round figure
such as £9.99 instead of £10 or £99.95. Instead of
£100.
‡ It is often assumed that this is done to make the prices
appear lower to the customer.
‡ But this is not the reason, the practice started.
‡ What was the origin original reason for this pricing
method?
‡ (small changes can sometimes have a big impact)
7. Q6: Interview question
‡ This question has been used as an aptitude test at
interviews.
‡ You are driving in your sports car on a cold wet evening.
‡ You pass a bus stop where you see three people waiting
for the bus.
‡ One is your best friend from school days, who you have
not seen for 20 years. One is the man or woman of your
dreams - the person you always wanted to meet. The
third is a sick old lady, who needs to be taken to hospital.
‡ Knowing that there is room for only one past year in your
car, what would you do?
8. Q7: Material gains
‡ during the Californian gold rush, a young entrepreneur
went to California with the idea of selling tents to the
miners.
‡ He thought there would be a good market for tents from
thousands of people who flocked to dig for gold.
‡ Unfortunately, the weather was so mild that the miners
slept in the open air, and there was little demand for his
tents.
‡ What did he do?
‡ (welcome failure, it¶s not always bad!)
9. Q8: Late train
‡ a businessman called the train station to find the time of
his train.
‡ When he reached the station, he was surprised to learn
that he was half an hour early.
‡ What time was his train?
10. Q9: easyJet
‡ easyJet is the leading low-cost air carrier in Europe.
‡ It has been responsible for many innovations in low-cost
air travel.
‡ There are no free drinks on easyJet flight. If you want a
drink, you have to buy it.
‡ According to a recent magazine article, there are two
major business benefit from this policy. One is the
income generated. What do you think is the second?
‡ (creativity)
12. 1: The subway problem
The engineer change the ball to have the left-hand
augmented clockwise threads. Instead of the conventional
right-hand or clockwise threads. This meant that as the
thieves assumed they were trying to unscrew the ball¶s
there were actually tightening them instead.
13. Q2: Shoe shop shuffle.
The shoe shops put single shoes, has displayed items
outside the shops. One shop with a left shoes, the other
three shops, put a right shoes. Thieves stole the display
shoes, but had to make pairs, so more shoes were taken
from the one displaying left shoes. The manager changed
the display to right shoes and thefts dropped significantly.
14. 3: The school inspection
Before the school inspector arrived, the teacher instructed
the pupils always to raise their left hands. If they did not
know the answer. All were unsure. If they were sure they
knew their answer. They should raise their right hand. The
teachers chooses a different people, every time, but always
one who has raised Hughes or her right hand. The
superintendent was duly impressed.
15. 4: The unusual
The answer is a hairdryer, a lawnmower and a chat. Why
did you assume it was one thing? What would happen if
you combine these three into one?
16. 5: Price tag
The practice originated to ensure that the clerk had to open
the till and give change for each transaction. This recorded
the sale and prevented the clerk from pocketing the money
17. 6: Interview question
Of the many candidates at the interview. Only one gave
this answer, which was judged the best. You give the car
keys to your old friend and ask him to drive the sick old
lady to the hospital, while you wait at the bus stop with the
woman (or man) of your dreams
18. 7: Material gains
The cost of the strong cotton material of his tents and used
it to make trousers that he sold to the miners. The man¶s
name was Levi Strauss. By adapting to market conditions
and innovating. He was able to create a brand that has
lasted to this day.
19. 8: Late train
The train was a 22.10, which the man misheard has 20 to
10. It just goes to show how you have to check your
assumptions!
20. 9: easyJet
The second benefit to easyJet from their policy of no free
drinks, is that they can eliminate one lavatory from their
planes because of the lower demand. This makes way for
extra seats.
