Are you thinking in the box?

Those who do not think outside the box are easily contained

- Nicolas Manetta

Image by Ben Heine

Those who are in power always seek to maintain the status quo. They resent surprises and therefore frown upon change. The stronger they are, the greater the focus to keep organisations and systems rigid.

Society, organisations and departments are akin to boxes. The people who are in power or lead want things within their boxes stable and therefore rigid. Leave alone action, even a new thought or idea is usually frowned upon.

However in a rapidly changing, constantly evolving world, failure to innovate and improve can be harmful if not fatal.

Thought always precedes action, so, it has become fashionable to tell people to think outside the box.

While improvements and innovation can be great, if not evaluated and managed properly, will result in chaos and resulting change may actually take the organisation backwards.

Unstable systems or organisations, are inefficient, consume too many resources, and can easily destroy an organisation.

First seek stability and then change. Constantly repeating this cycle will provide success, but first we have to think out of the box.

In the box are people who are contained, the followers, safe, secure and usually stagnating. Thought and action leaders move out of the box. Therein lies opportunity and success, but also danger and possibly even failure.

You choose.

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Office Efficiency - Central Social Institution, Prague, 1937

The offices of the Central Social Institution of Prague, Czechoslovakia. April 1937 “The offices of the Central Social Institution of Prague, Czechoslovakia with the largest vertical letter file in the world. Consisting of cabinets arranged from floor to ceiling tiers covering over 4000 square feet containing over 3000 drawers 10 feet long. It has electric operated elevator desks which rise, fall and move left or right at the push of a button. to stop just before drawer desired. The drawers also open and close electronically. Thus work which formerly taxed 400 workers is now done by 20 with a minimum of effort. Ref: B196_095071_3660 Date: 26.04.1937 Compulsory Credit: UPPA/Photoshot”

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