© 2018 Dennis Hodges �1

We are frequently told to “think outside the box” — you know, come up with unconventional, original, and creative solutions to a situation, challenge, or problem.

But there is a box and, sometimes, we are forced to play with the box.

Constraints generate opportunities for creativity.

In case you don’t know where the “think outside the box” saying comes from, it’s a puzzle. The challenge is to draw four straight lines that intersect each dot only once. Here are the rules:

• Place your pen on a dot• Once you place your pen on the dot, you may not lift

it up.• Draw four straight lines• You must pass through all nine dots• You may pass through each of the nine dots only

once

That’s it! When you solve this puzzle, you’ll understand the saying, “think outside the box.” If you’re stuck, drop me a line and I’ll send you the solution. (I’m sure you’ll figure it out, though!)

The concept makes sense: sometimes when faced with a problem, conventional thinking will not solve the issue. You need to experiment, try something new, unconventional, even radical to arrive at a solution or solutions.

Other approaches to address your challenge are to play with the box or even play inside of the box.

Playing inside of the box The hit television show Chopped® on The Food Network® is a classic example of playing inside the box. In the show four chefs compete, hoping to cook and serve the best plate of food to a panel of judges. During each round of the competition, the chef whose plate is the least successful gets eliminated from the competition, or “chopped”, ultimately leaving only one chef to become the Chopped Champion.

There are three rounds in the competition, which usually consist of a starter, an entree and a dessert. For each round, the chefs literally open a basket of ingredients and are

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required to 1) use all the ingredients in the basket and 2) transform these ingredients. This second requirement is particularly difficult when an ingredient consists of already-prepared food.

This is, literally, playing inside the box! In every basket, there is at least one ingredient that makes no sense for the plate they are preparing - for example, candy in the starter round, already-cooked meat in the main course, or salsa for the dessert. The chefs must think outside the box by

playing inside of the box. As a result, their skills and imagination are put to the test as they create unique and delicious plates of food for the judges while working with what appear to be insurmountable obstacles.

Constraints generate opportunities for creativity Another facet of my life is that I am a fine art photographer. My favorite camera is a Diana, a 1960’s-era carnival prize. Plastic body, plastic lens, fixed shutter speed and slightly adjustable aperture and focus. No preview screen, no automatic film advance, no light meter, no auto focus, no zoom lens. As manual as it gets. And it shoots film. (120 roll film if you’re curious.) Due to the cheap plastic lens the images are roughly in focus in the center of the image but smear and blur toward the edges with vignettes in the corners. The fixed shutter speed and limited aperture adjustments mean the camera only works in specifically lighted situations - usually broad daylight is best. The fixed focal length means it “sees” only what it can; if I want to zoom in on the subject, I have to physically move toward the subject. 120 film creates square images with this camera and there are 16 images to a roll. Got an idea of the challenges this camera presents?

Because of these constraints, though, this camera opens up a host of possibilities for creativity. Due to its limitations the camera will capture images in a specific way and I have to consider what images will work under these

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© The Food Network

© Dennis Hodges

© Dennis Hodges

conditions. The result is the camera captures images that I, thus far anyway, cannot replicate digitally. The images are textural, emotional, unique studies of the world I see. Fuzzy, dark and square, the photos are lovely. Because of the constraints the camera places on me, I am open to create unique works of art I cannot create any other way.

Playing with the box, literally When the solo jazz pianist Keith Jarrett arrived at the Köln Opera House for a concert in 1975, the promoter had the wrong piano onstage. The opera house crew had placed the practice baby grand on the stage: a piano that was not designed — nor ready — for concert performances. The upper register was tinny, the bass register was muddy and the pedals didn’t work correctly. By the time the problem was realized, it was too late to take delivery of the concert grand piano originally ordered for the performance.

Jarret, as any professional musician would do, initially refused to play and only did so at the urgent request of the 17-year-old promoter, Vera Brandes. The opera house was sold out for the performance, which was to begin at 11:30 PM — a late start for a concert but it was the only time the venue offered the young promoter.

If you’re unfamiliar with Keith Jarrett, his concerts do not contain a playlist; rather he walks on stage, senses the moment and improvises the entire event. In “The Köln

Concert”, Jarret centers the music around the middle of the keyboard — remember, he was playing an unsuitable instrument and had to make adjustments that would still allow him to create his music.

In addition to the obstacles the piano presented, Jarret was tired. The concert start time was late, and the artist had not slept well for a couple of days moving from city to city touring. He was dealing with some back pain, too, which required the use of a brace. It was not the perfect setup for a quality concert performance.

Yet, Jarrett, a true professional, chose to literally play with the box and the music he created on the inferior piano is mesmerizing, hypnotic and packed with emotion. To this day, “The Köln Concert” remains the all-time best-selling piano album as well as the best-selling solo album in jazz history.Source: Wikipedia

So, how can you play with the box? Indeed a “box” exists in your daily life. There is a framework or structure in place; a set of values, practices, habits, procedures, and limitations that serve as a basis or

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© ECM

reference for the situation in front of you. If there wasn’t, you would respond with, “What box?!”

View the box itself as a framework; as a jumping off point. Rather than trying to think out of the box, try playing with the box. Use the box as a basis for your analysis. The box has seven sides to it: the top or “over the box”, the bottom or “under the box”, the sides – left, right, front and back - or “beside the box” and, of course, “inside the box”. Why not consider your situation from these seven perspectives and see what can be created?

Here are each of the facets of the box with questions to ask yourself:

Over the box “Over the box” is the traditional “out of the box” scenario. Think expansively; consider all possibilities beyond the normal confines of your situation. What could be? Dream. Get wild with the ideas. This is the blue-sky opportunity. Don’t limit or constrain the ideas - you can edit later. Now is the time to dream big, beyond rational thought. We are generally too rational in our thinking - save that for later. Shoot for the moon now.

Under the box “Under the box” suggests simplification strategies. Should you pare back? Merge? Condense and simplify processes or products. Make things more user-friendly. Consolidate operations. Eliminate products or even customers that require excessive investment for a limited return. Streamline internal workings or procedures. Eliminate the unnecessary. Reduce distractions. Again, simplify. Focus.

Beside the box “Beside the box” encourages you to look for partnerships and lateral extensions. Is there an acquisition that expands you a bit? Is there a relationship that would enhance your offerings or finances? Something that would round out your product mix? Look internally and externally for strategic alignments.

“Beside the box” encourages you to consider the pros and cons of a situation or opportunity – two different views of the same thing. If it helps, think of the left side as the more liberal direction and the right side as the more conservative direction. Looking to the sides includes being aware of what your competition is doing and how you may want to respond, if at all.

In front of the box “In front of the box” pushes you to innovate, experiment. Go boldly forward. Commit to innovation, research and development, invest in the future, and take some risks. Are you developing products/business lines for six months or six years from now? Lead your industry. Be the one others try to copy. Trail blaze. Be the pioneer.

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Behind the box “Behind the box” is, by design, just the opposite of in front of the box. Does it make sense for you to copy what others have done? Revise, rework, refine their efforts? Emulate, with modifications and improvements? Differentiate? Let others take the risk and get lumps on their heads. Benefit from their mistakes by not repeating them. Learn from them and improve on what they have started.

Inside the box Finally, “Inside the box” recognizes you may have extremely limited resources or options. Often these limitations include funds, human resources (or expertise) and time. When resources are tight, you must live within the confines of the situation, but there are ways to stretch these limits.

Having no money is not necessarily a bad thing – it makes you a better businessperson since you have to decide where to best spend that last dollar/euro/yen. Before you seek funds from family/friends or banks/investors/crowdsourcing, critically evaluate whether you absolutely need the additional funding. What can you live without to remain within your means? If you need the money, consider what price you will pay to get this additional funding. What if you can’t get the money? How can you move forward? What partnerships might allow you to barter or trade for what it is you need to buy?

Which leads us to our second precious resource – humans. Bartering goes back to the beginning of humans: trading your skills/talents/knowledge/product with someone who has something you need. You yourself have intrinsic value with your knowledge and skill set. How can you leverage it to get what you need in exchange? You are the box and you are tapping what’s inside of you. Alternatively, in today’s gig economy, experts are as close as your computer. Consider whether your time is best spent on a topic you where you are not the expert versus tapping into the global talent pool that’s waiting for your call.

Everyone on this planet has 24 hours in the day - no more, no less. When dealing with this fixed constraint we have to make choices. Think like an entrepreneur: focus on obtaining results versus being productive. The language app Duolingo promotes itself saying “15 minutes a day can teach you a language. What can 15 minutes of Instagram do?” While there is definitely value in using social media to move your work forward, the message from Duolingo is clear. Set priorities and focus on the big ones first. They may be the most difficult but they’ll have the greatest impact on your results.

In addition to these, review the previous “box” alternatives in light of your “inside the box” restrictions as many of them are viable alternatives and applicable here.

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Remember there are solutions available but you may have to dig a little more to find them. Some of the most creative and innovative solutions come from situations with extreme limitations placed on them, as in the stories shared above.

Everyone talks about thinking out of the box. Try playing with the box and you’ll find the answer or answers to your challenges.

My name is Dennis Hodges and I help leaders approach their challenges with a fresh perspective, leading to innovative breakthroughs and business growth. My years as a marketing strategist and a creative thinking expert are here to help you succeed.

It’s about challenging the status quo and getting a little outside your comfort zone in order to drive your unique position forward in the marketplace.

The cool thing is, when done right, you will never look at your world the same way again, you will become more centered in your focus and have an even greater influence on the world around you.

How may I help you? Let’s please have a chat.

Dennis HodgesFounder and Creative CatalystCreatalystw: www.creatalyst.come: dennis@creatalyst.comm: +1.620.213.0258

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