Outside the Box

What a ridiculous phrase within the business world. Likely to be one of the most oft used and trite phrases imaginable. No doubt it’s a top pick in boardroom bingo games across the continent.

Why such derision where these three words are concerned? Because they’re liberally thrown about when events aren’t going as expected. Sales volume not up to par? How do we get outside the box to drive deal velocity. Operations having difficulty containing costs? Let’s focus outside the box and find ways to trim expenses while maintaining product flow. Yak, yak, yak!

Unfortunately, the phrase “outside the box” may be a thin cover for a lack of proficiency inside the box. In other words, when people or firms can’t execute the basics with great consistency, failures occur. Rather than targeting flaws, which means identifying culprits, it’s much easier to say, “Let’s blah, blah, blah outside the box” and boo-ya, problem solved!

When folks hear “outside the box” they forget about proficiency of business principals and instead gaze into the magic 8-ball to divine new, novel, risky, and “unique” solutions. This is done in hopes of diverting attention from the ineptitude that got them into hot water in the first place.

There’s nothing better than confusion and obfuscation to cover one’s bum in hopes of getting lucky with another tactic!

The sad fact is this. By revisiting the fundamentals and exercising them in an expert and consistent fashion, a great many of the individual and business problems raising their ugly heads can be effectively addressed. I’ve been dumbfounded by firms in which I’ve worked, that ignore business basics to their detriment, yet continue chasing the holy grail of “getting outside the box” to improve performance.

Get back in the box! Return to the basics and learn how to do them extraordinarily well. If you can’t execute the fundamentals IN the box with great proficiently, attempting anything complex or fancy outside the box should be considered speculation, not investment and certainly not sound business practice in a great many cases.