Want to Solve a Problem? Touch It!

“A problem well put is half solved.” -John Dewey

When you walk into an Apple store you might have to reposition the screens of the laptops to use them; this is Apple’s intention. According to this Forbes article, Apple uses interactivity with their products to draw you in and make you want to buy. Studies have shown that the more you touch something, the more ownership you have to it.

Okay, so this concept is great if you have a physical product to sell and can actually let customers touch and hold it, but this idea got me thinking about how these studies impact the rest of our lives. How can this concept help us in other ways? Then it came to me, if one of the ways to solve a problem was to fully define it and understand it (essentially to own it), could the same technique work? So I did some more research and it brought me to a concept I know well; multisensory teaching.

A multisensory education approach basically says you should engage all your students’ “senses” into your instruction to help them better understand a concept. The idea is that if a student hears about it, sees it, manipulates it, and can touch or feel it, they will understand the topic better. In marketing, we use this multisensory concept as well. Many stores you shop at have carefully chosen the music you hear, the colors and images you see, the way you will move about the store, and the stuff you can easily touch.

I believe that using these concepts can help us solve problems and create better outcomes. For example, let’s say you have a big-picture strategic decision to make for your business. Most people would sit and think about the decision, some would write out a pros and cons list, and still others may call a meeting and talk with people about the decision. These are all great options and should be used, but you may not be able to fully connect with the problem using these techniques.

Let me suggest touching the problem and employing all your senses. To use this technique you would designate something physical to represent the decision. Then set the scene to make the decision. Look at your object, manipulate it, move around the office with it, and maybe even choose some “decision making music” to listen to. You can read more about how music affects your creativity in my last post, 5 Things You Can Start Doing Today to Become More Creative.

Now you may be saying, “What object should I use to help me with these decisions?” Anything can work really, but I say a desk toy or accessory can be a great option. According to this Wall Street Journal article, squeezing on that stress ball or trying to solve the Rubik’s Cube can help you become more productive by making you more creative and focused. Isn’t that the type of thinking we need to help us solve a problem?

So the next time somebody asks you about that slinky on your desk, tell them it helps you solve the big problems (and it’s just fun). Do you have a fun desk accessory that you could use to help solve your problems? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.