Think of Zebras

By Kim Wilkes
Executive Vice President

Quick—what’s the first thought that pops into your mind when you hear the words “hoof beats”? I came across an inane movie on TV a while back, and before I switched channels, I heard a phrase that made me stop and think a minute. Two detectives were puzzled over a crime that had occurred. As the senior detective scratched his head, the junior detective said, “We’ve got to think of zebras.” You can imagine the look on the senior detective’s face and the tone of his voice as he said, “Zebras?” The junior detective explained: “Whenever I couldn’t figure out something, my mom always said that when you hear hoof beats, think of zebras.” Meaning, don’t always settle on the obvious; force your mind to think of the other possibilities. What a deep thought from a rather silly movie.

I must admit that I am a USA TODAY crossword fanatic. I have found that applying zebra thinking to a word I am stuck on most often results in being able to come up with the word I was looking for. Recently, for example, the clue was pond film. Well, “On Golden Pond” was too long and Walden didn’t fit, either. Once I forgot about films and thought of zebras, algae became the obvious correct answer.

This advice holds very true for many situations in the work environment. We sometimes jump to sub-par conclusions or solutions because we haven’t thought through the full realm of possibilities. The next time you’re scratching your head about a problem, thinking of zebras might lead you to the right answer. Even when we think we have the right answer, we should still pause to consider the zebras clopping around in our minds. They might just be bringing you the solution you need.