• Define the four sides of the box.
  1. Purpose: the reason why, the goal of what we are trying to do
  2. Time: this is your deadline; be specific
  3. $/Resources: what we can spend/use
  4. People: what skills & whose time can we use?
• Give space—if the box is so tightly defined that there is no room for creativity then you have given a worker a list of jobs but no responsibility
• Stick with the limits—constantly changing the four sides of the box freezes activity as the person tries to identify the real line.
• Dumpagation—a bad habit of giving away responsibility without defining the box or adding people to a box that doesn’t live in its limits.
• Different than me—a good box allows someone to accomplish the purpose in a way different than what you may have done; you have the choice of doing everything yourself or being on a team where others have responsibility.

Opening Questions

1. Does creativity have limits?
2. Yes, absolutely. Without limits you can’t be creative.
3. What do you need to know from your boss before you take a responsibility?
4. This could be a long, long list of items that basically fall under one of the four
   categories of a box of creativity.

Closing Thoughts

• Don’t start a project/responsibility until you know all the sides of the box.
• Do this exercise with big and little things. Make it a habit.

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