“Think outside the box”. What if there is no box? What then might you think of?
To me, the six most dangerous words in business or any organisation are “we’ve always done it this way“.
I was reminded of this yesterday when I saw England vs Iran in the World Cup go to fourteen minutes of injury time at the end of the first half and ten minutes at the end of the second half. Surely the powers that be in Football will at some point look at what other major sports (eg NFL, NHL, NBA, Rugby, Hockey and more) do, ie stop the clock for injuries and other prolonged stoppages, such that when the clock ticks down to the end of the quarter/half/end of the match, the players and fans can look up at the clock and know when the end will be. So far, though, Football is a sport that moves very, very slowly to embrace change, this being but one example. So far they say “we’ve always done it this way”.
Now, to make the change I note above is a mild version of “thinking outside the box”, the option is already there and proven in closely related fields, it just needs a tiny bit of bravery to make the shift.
What about, though, thinking where “there is no box”, where someone comes up with something truly new, radical, and innovative, that nobody else has come up with before?
I’m currently musing on that as I tested positive for Covid this morning (I’m fine, with mild cold symptoms only), so all face-to-face meetings for this week are cancelled. Among those is a CEO Dinner I was due to be the speaker at in two days’ time, focussed on the “crystal ball” for business for 2023 and beyond.
This special event has involved months of planning, so what now? Conventional thinking might be to a) reschedule, b) go ahead but without the speaker, or c) some other variation on the theme. What if, however, there is no box?
Perhaps I could have 1:1 calls with each attendee today with one question they have for me that they would have asked at the event. I could then film myself for fifteen or so minutes first giving my thoughts on the “crystal ball” and then answering the questions. This could then be played on a screen while they eat their starter course, and then could be used to stimulate their conversation.
Anyway, writing this after seeing my positive test, so writing as I mused on “there is no box” and now using my writing to develop my thoughts further.
I leave you with today with two “there is no box” videos to consider.
First, a performer on a talent show who embodies “there is no box” thinking with a stunning performance that folds together multiple forms of artistic expression. What a moment! Second, from the photo above, the “there is no spoon” moment in The Matrix, when Neo is encouraged to think beyond the “reality” he sees.
Kristy Sellars showing us “there is no box”
Amazing🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/Zcaavt868n
— Tansu YEĞEN (@TansuYegen) November 21, 2022
Neo learning “there is no spoon”