Work

But It Sounded Good When The Consultant Said It

11.07.2005 | Chris Bailey

I’ve written before about my aversion to those who admonish us to "think outside the box." Now, I have a brilliant Thatcherite retort:

If you still say ‘Think Outside the Box’ you don’t.

Thanks, Adrian for pointing me to the results of Nick Usbourne’s brilliant contest to protest business jargon BS. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be the one saying to my colleagues:

Shift my paradigm before I have had my morning coffee and I will core your competencies.

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4 Responses to “But It Sounded Good When The Consultant Said It”

  1. Kevin Holland Reply

    It gets worse. Now people who say “think outside the box” know that “think outside the box” sounds stupid so they say things like “color outside the lines” … and think the rest of us can’t tell the difference.

    Personally, I think they should cut the box some slack….there’s a lot of room in there.

  2. Chris Bailey Reply

    Kevin, that’s a hoot. As someone who thinks a lot about creating organizational structures for success, I’m with you. Create a box that has plenty of room to explore. And if the box isn’t working, time to find a new box.

    Or here’s something to fry your noodle: to take certain liberties with what the young spoonbending boy on The Matrix says: what if there is no box at all?

  3. Jodee Bock Reply

    That darn box! I’ve chosen to be creative within the box, since it seems that most people aren’t like the spoonbending boy on the Matrix and still insist on seeing that box. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you choose to look at it, my name is Bock – and pluralizing it makes it Bock’s (box). I’ve chosen to work with it instead of against it and my company name is Bock’s Office Transformational Consulting.

    Box? What Bock’s? :)

  4. The Coyote Within Reply

    The Perils of The Box

    No, I don’t mean the television. It’s that mythical box again the one people are always telling others to …

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I help business leaders and their organizations improve how they relate to their customers, employees, and other critical stakeholders. It’s born out of my belief that individuals crave meaningful relationships and want to be involved with companies that connect with them personally. I’m devoted to helping organizations discover the unique qualities that make them remarkable.

I’m currently a Master’s student at the University of North Texas studying business anthropology.

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