The Square Watermelon

Japanese grocery stores had a problem. They are much smaller than in other countries and therefore don’t have room to waste. Watermelons, big and round, wasted a lot of space. Most people would simply tell the grocery stores that watermelons grow round and there is nothing that can be done about it. That is how I would assume the vast majority of people would respond. But some Japanese farmers took a different approach. If the supermarkets wanted a square watermelon, they asked themselves, “How can we provide one?” It wasn’t long before they invented the square watermelon.

The solution to the problem of round watermelons wasn’t nearly as difficult to solve for those who didn’t assume the problem was impossible to begin with and simply asked how it could be done. It turns out that all you need to do is place them into a square box when they are growing and the watermelon will take on the shape of the box.

This made the grocery stores happy and had the added benefit that it was much easier and cost effective to ship the watermelons. Consumers also loved them because they took less space in their  small refrigerators which meant that the growers could charge a premium price for them.

Creativity, Innovation and Customer Service Lessons

1. Don’t Assume – Most people assumed the task was impossible before even asking the question, “how could it be done?”
2. Question Habits – Just because you have always done something a  certain way doesn’t necessarily make it the best way. Ask yourself regularly, “Can this be improved?”
3. Be Creative – thinking outside the box is a skill that can be built up like a muscle. Creative ideas are often simple like this one, which actually put something inside a box!
4. The Impossible often Isn’t – If you think it’s impossible it is, but possibility thinking allowed a man to run the 4-minute mile and put another man on the moon. Approach your next problem as if the solution was possible.

By using creativity an innovation you too can WOW your customers.