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Climb Outside of the Box.

Climb Outside of the Box.

by Kathy Seaton

We think we’re creative. We feel strategic. We feel like we’re doing it different. But are we really? I think that sometimes we get stuck in the status quo. We get into this mindset that we’re making progress and that we’re creating change. But I’ve found that’s not always the case.

I fall into the preverbal term, thinking inside the box. I’ve done it off and on for years and I can’t put my finger on how I get to that spot. Is it comfortable? Is it the best that I can do?

We’re now living in a world of ever changing technology. The threat that machines will take over our jobs is in some cases imminent. But we know we can’t let that happen. We can’t put our well-being on the sidelines, nor can we be eliminated.

How did we get into the box anyway? Here’s a few thoughts to consider:

  1. We were just trying to please upper management
  2. We lost sight about what our consumers really need
  3. The wheel of new thoughts became broken
  4. Our teams started to base decisions on the past “the way we’ve always done it” rather than taking our futures into consideration
  5. We became lazy

It’s time to change our thinking and its well due that we get out of the box. But how do we do that? How do we escape the confines of what we’re doing now?

I think that it takes vision, but sometimes that gets lost in the shuffle. So, what if we focus and return to a state of simplicity? 

These are just a few assumptions, but rest assured, we can evolve. We can do this. If we look back in time we will see all sorts of examples of leaders that carefully and meticulously changed the status quo. They might have created some really bad ideas, because that’s just part of the process. But those bad ideas and perhaps failures are what led to better ideas. Ideas that have changed generations of people. Ideas that have moved business forward. Ideas that have toppled governments. Ideas that have changed the lives of several generations to come. Ideas that have reshaped education. And finally, ideas that have built a multi-cultural society that we all enjoy. 

The worst case scenario is that we stay the same. And that would be unfortunate. Same doesn’t get us promoted. And to be honest, same just simply sucks. We deserve better and our focus should be on making an impact. Evolution is same. Revolution is different. We all deserve better—not boring. 

Our ideas can’t be data driven, because then we make decisions based on history, not on what’s coming next. 

Let’s get out of the box. Here’s a few suggestions. 

  1. Identify the problem.
  2. Determine if you really have a problem or if you just need a change. 
  3. Create a game plan and make sure that its strategic. Do not focus on the past. The past is gone. 
  4. Thing globally and make sure that those thoughts create inclusivity—because our society now demands the idea of community. 
  5. Don’t focus on coming up with ideas. Encounter ideas. The best ideas are the ones that we dream up in the shower. 
  6. Don’t second guess yourself. Execute and do it NOW.
  7. Don’t ever give up. 

Steve Jobs said it best, “Focus and simplicity…once you get there you can move mountains.”