Speaker | Creator of Chameleonomics | Innovation Literacy & Performance Expert | Visiting Professor | Author | Radio Presenter
For several reasons I have not posted much recently. I was going to get back into it next week but as with most things something happens that annoys you and you have to say something. And what is that Derek, I hear you ask? Well, it is the number of people telling everybody else to 'think outside the box'. What is wrong with that, it is a good idea isn't it? Mmmmmmm. Is my initial answer. First of all the phrase has become a buzzword/phrase just like low hanging fruit, being ahead of the curve etc so its meaning is either zero or diluted. Secondly, have you ever been told to not think of a blue elephant? You will be thinking about that animal for the rest of the day. Similarly, telling someone about a box puts that box right there. They start to draw the boundaries rather than erase them. So what do we do then? If you are telling people about thinking in new ways then talk about alternative thinking, exploring boundaries or anything else that means 'going beyond'. If you happen to be facilitating a session with others then simply do it and let people go wow at the end. Have great weekend. See you next week.
The Engineering Detective | Business Mentor | Process Improvement | Leadership Liberation. Hunting down those problems that are costing you money and time and delivering you a solution that fits round your business.
11moBut what about the stuff inside the box? It'll feel lonely and ignored if everything is concentrating on what's outside. I feel it's a little like "the grass is greener". There are opportunities and benefits within, if we look for them.