Inside the Box Thinking
b'Over the last few weeks, we have been focusing the shows on different thinking styles, such as\\xa0out of the box thinking. This week\'s topic is a different twist on what we have been recently discussing. People often overlook what I call inside the box thinking and try to stay away from it. On today\'s show, we will discuss inside the box thinking and how it can be utilized in any team or organization to boost innovation success.
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\\nInside the Box Thinking
\\n‘Inside the box thinking\' means to innovate within the constraints defined by the box. It is more generally described as\\xa0constraint-based innovation. The idea behind it is understanding your constraints and utilizing those constraints to innovate beyond the box. The box can be an organization, government, or even a team. It defines where you are operating here and now. The box can contain inside constraints that you can change. It may also include outside the box constraints that are out of your control. Let\'s look at what those constraints can look like:
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\\n* Strategy/Vision \\u2013\\xa0Going into a particular market with a fixed and specific plan.
\\n* Policies/Procedures \\u2013\\xa0Depending on how these are set up, they can be very constraining.
\\n* Decision Making \\u2013\\xa0Who makes the decisions? What are the decision-making criteria?
\\n* Resource Allocation \\u2013\\xa0How does your organization allocate resources (time, people, money, equipment)?
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\\n\\xa0The Seven Laws of Innovation
\\nDealing with inside constraints can be a tough task. What I like to call the seven laws of innovation [1], are laws that are critically important for inside the box thinking. Here\'s what the seven laws\\xa0mean:
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\\n* Leadership \\u2013\\xa0Having leaders within an organization that support\\xa0innovation\\xa0is critical. An alignment amongst the organization must happen to achieve innovation success.
\\n* Innovation Culture \\u2013\\xa0Culture is key because an innovation culture encourages people to get out and try new ideas. Likewise, a bad culture can drag an organization down.
\\n* Resources \\u2013\\xa0It is critical to have resources that are devoted to innovation, and to use your best resources.\\xa0
\\n* Patience \\u2013\\xa0Inside innovation takes time. Stay committed.
\\n* Innovation Framework Process \\u2013\\xa0You need to have an innovation framework process that is tailored to your organization\'s culture.
\\n* Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) \\u2013\\xa0What is the colossal objective that you are going to pursue? The goal needs a timeline and plan of execution.
\\n* Execution \\u2013\\xa0Remember that ideas without execution are hobbies. There is no value without execution.
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\\nOutside Constraints
\\nThese can include competition, outside investments, partners/suppliers, government regulations, etc. I\'ve worked in regulated industries, which have given me a good perspective on what this is all about. Outside constraints are typically outside of your control and have been imposed upon you. These don\'t always have to be negative and can often be used to your advantage. Let\'s look at what these are:
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\\n* Competition \\u2013\\xa0If your competitor is much larger than you, they can invest and fund a lot more than you. You can innovate around the economy of scale by blowing it up. Look at what Uber and Lyft did to the taxi and rental car industry.
\\n* Outside Investments \\u2013\\xa0Innovation requires capital. It is challenging to do\\xa0game-changing innovations\\xa0without capital these days. That being said, there are a ton of different ways to get capital.
\\n* Partners/Suppliers \\u2013\\xa0If you combine your innovation efforts w...'