Boxes and creativity
by Miki SaxonDuring a conversation on changing the culture in his company, the CEO said, “It’s hard to think about getting outside of the box, because sometimes I forget the box is there.” Don’t we all.
But that’s OK. Actually, I think we all have a box. The creativity difference is in the size of our box. Steve Jobs’ and Steven Spielberg’s boxes are immense, far larger than most, yet they both continue to enlarge them. And therein lies one of the secrets of a creative organization.
It’s not just encouraging your people to “think outside the box,” it’s helping them to think outside their box and then to enlarge it.
That’s how it works. As soon as you get outside your own box, a new one forms. Once you totally use up its content and find its sides you go outside that box, a new one forms and the process begins again.
If you work at it, this process continues throughout your life—although some never start it and some get comfortable in a certain box and retain it.
It’s a matter of choice, your choice, within your control to make it happen.
There will always be a box, but with effort you can enlarge it enough to encompass galaxies—and even entire universes.
It’s all yours for the choosing.
September 13th, 2006 at 11:47 am
This is a great reminder about creative destruction, or the imperative to re-make your company, your product and yourself every X years.
Re-making oneself, one’s company, one’s product is a scary process… and one that is difficult to do.
It is easy to put off. It is easy to categorize as “nice to have” as opposed to “have to have.” But it is essential to do in order to grow.
In a crisis there never seems to be time to do the required introspection, and also to get the benefit of stepping back to get a bigger picture. Perspective is a difficult thing to get in a small box.
In more mundane times, when we’re slogging along at big projects and screaming down the fast lane of our lives, we never seem to have time to carve out this process that requires so much thought and creativity. Perspective is a difficult thing to get driving at 100 mph in the dark.
So we’re left bouncing back and forth re-inventing ourselves and our companies based on externalities— bascially on someone else’s schedule and agenda.
I like what you said about Jobs and Spielberg… regardless of how we feel about their businesses… these are people who are driven to reinvent themselves and their approaches to the world around them.
In the process they have participated or been the catalysts for major shifts in the world around us…
There is a reason that reinvention and innovation are mentioned in the same context. And there is also a reason innovation is sometimes called “distruption” in a marketplace.
The “box” is expanded for all, and by definition, the old lines of the box are destroyed. This is hard stuff to live through for many people. Yet we’re all better off as individuals and companies as a result of periodic, earthquake-style disruptive innovation.
The secret is in being able to “see” the box you’ve created for yourself, for your company, for your product… and understand how big you want to or need to expand it, and not be overwhelmed by the task. And being willing to destroy old lines.
In a current pop song there is a lyric that goes “sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge.”
A business coach (or any trusted person who can serve as a souding board) can help an executive get perspective on how “big” the next logical expansion of their box should be, and how to stage the next level of growth.
Thanks for keeping me out of my box, Miki.
Matt Weeks
Managing Director
Financial Services and Emerging Technologies
FINTECA
September 13th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Wow, Matt, Thanks for an awesome compliment. I agree that at time’s it’s scary, as is any unknown. One thing to remember is that if you don’t do it, someone else will.
It’s part of the choice—active expansion or passive waiting—and, when you get right down to it, scary active is a whole lot more fun than seemingly safe passive.
September 13th, 2006 at 3:37 pm
I too think the box is feared all to much. We all have a comfort zone and we have to try to push all the way to the edge of it and over. Each time we do so we can possibly achieve greatness.
Rarely will we achieve it otherwise.
September 13th, 2006 at 3:44 pm
Right on, Robyn. And if not greatness, at least we’ll have a heck of a good ride!
September 13th, 2006 at 7:26 pm
This is really beautiful and true and a good reminder
September 13th, 2006 at 9:22 pm
I guess I’m one of those who struggle to get comfort with their own box (it’s not an easy process to come to terms with it for some people), hence, I have a different vision of what happens when you “totally use up” your box content and find its sides. In my opinion, one can’t/shouldn’t (?) form a new box; the BOX, YOUR BOX, remains, it just takes on different shapes, sizes, looks, but can’t be totally replaced with a new one, it would take away TRUE YOU with it. Total replacement DOES take place, but seldom, once/twice in your lifetime, and it’s fundamental. And it’s like reincarnation.
September 14th, 2006 at 9:26 am
My view on Miki’s post may also please Olessya: the box remains and a new one is formed around it. We’re building a matrioshka (http://russian-crafts.com/nest.html).
September 14th, 2006 at 11:25 am
[…] Yesterday’s post generated several comments, two of which I want to respond to today, because I feel it’s important to clarify what I wrote. […]
September 14th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
So applicable to everyday life, and so true, Miki! Good job!
April 12th, 2007 at 11:31 am
[…] So true. I wrote my view of boxes last fall, it’s a good post, but the comments are even better! digg_url=’http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/?p=368′; digg_skin = ‘button’; digg_bgcolor = ‘#FFFFFF’; digg_title = ‘Logic outside the box’; digg_bodytext = ”; digg_topic = ”; Powered by Gregarious (37) […]
December 24th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Hi Janine, Thanks for the compliment and for stopping by! And my apologies for making the subscribe/contact me info so difficult to find:)
October 6th, 2016 at 6:57 am
[…] all yours for the choosing. (Here’s the original; it has some interesting […]