During the storm, the thing that break most readily are those that weren't tied down properly, or were in the wrong place, or weren't strong enough, and some bad luck. The test is evenly applied... After the storm, the surviving things can be extended to fill some of the gaps. Broken things need to be replaced or rebuilt or the need for them questioned, with lessons learned and mistakes avoided. And willing hands at all times.

Try > get killed > do it smarter before you run out of lives. It's the gaming equivalent of the test > learn > refine cycle we're all so familiar with. In times like these, I guess the key is to find the balance between going in with well-planned gusto and going in like Lee Roy Jenkins (and if you're not familiar with ol' Lee Roy, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU). You have to be really smart or have very big guns or have an amzing team around you - or, better yet, all three. Which means we should survive this storm quite nicely. p.s. thanks for the Xbox-love, David!

It all relates to perspect .... tow-in surfers have been chasing opportunities like these all over the world for years! http://www.wallpaperbase.com/wallpapers/movie/perfectstorm/perfect_storm_1.jpg

Argentinian Creatives assert that their campaigns are today much better, more effective, more awarded than before the 2001 crisis. Clients in Argentina expect much more from what they invest in advertising -and so in direct marketing- so agencies have to explore more. And both have to be braver when thinking different. Now maybe is our turn to explore... P.S. I'm not from Argentina.

Go ahead 'Think Inside the Box'. Prevailing innovation wisdom compels us to believe that innovation thrives in environments with constraints. Starting a new innovation project and want it to succeed? 1. Give it massive political support 2. But only give it a small team and a small amount of financial resources Give projects lots of money and they'll spend it de-risking the project instead of pushing the boundaries. Give projects lots of people and they'll spend most of their time in meetings or possibly even working against each other. So despite all the space in popular press given to 'Thinking Outside the Box', there are just as many supporting points for 'Thinking Inside the Box'. Braden Kelley http://blogginginnovation.com http://twitter.com/innovate http://innovationcommunity.ning.com (David Sable and others share their thoughts)

Great concept -- guess its true of a lot of things -- I always have belived that its easier to be creative on a blank canvas than on one that is partially started -- read that to mean -- in our business -- an environment where you are constrained by someone else's idea requires a greater degree of creativity.

All this talk about inside the box, outside the box.... The focus should be on the right solution for the task at hand, whether it's an old tried-and-true solution, or a bespoke solution derived from a moment of inspiration. Imagine if, every time you went to the doctor, he or she decided he was going to try a new medicine, course of therapy, or technique? you know, he wants to think outside the box. Would you send your child to a school that kept experimenting with new teaching methods, one right after the other? There are probably a whole lot of other equally interesting scenarios. An on-point "inside the box" solution executed flawlessly usually beats a poorly-executed "outside the box" solution done for the sake of being innovative. Of course, an on-strategy outside the box solution done well can revolutionize a way of doing something. Perhaps you can view inside the box thinking vs. outside the box thinking as playing small ball vs. swinging for the fences each time you go to the plate. You can win the game either way, it's just a question of which strategy to apply situationally. Sometimes you need to hit it out of the park to win, and sometimes you need to just get 'em on base one at a time. I'd imagine that both of them require different, complementary skillsets....

I, like David don't see anything wrong with the box. It happens to be full of the fundamentals that keep our feet planted firmly on the ground. The only problem, as I see it, is that we need to open the lid and look around a bit.

I like the lid analogy. Can I steal it? :-)

20 years ago I had a colleague who did strategic planning. He said he had a great life because all he did was set objectives, and then other people had to do the work of getting there. Strat planners nowadays seem to be a bit more accountable and attentive. The challenge is to move forward, and to commit to remaining true (and flexible) to the real objectives. That's the challenge for Obama and the US. It's easy enough to hold a steady tiller when the seas are calm, when the wind is steady, and when all destinations look pretty good. It's not like that now!