Dealing With Second-Rate Ideas
What do you do with a second-rate idea?
The easy answer is to toss the mediocre ideas out the window. Yet how one approaches those second-rate ideas is different if you are the giver of the idea than if you are the receiver of the idea.
The Idea Journal
I have a journal I keep that I call my Idea Journal. In this journal, I record all the ideas that come to my mind for paintings—not necessarily topics or subject matter but ideas to use within the painting or the painting format. I don't want to lose these ideas because I may want to explore them sometime in the future.
Does every idea I come up with get used? Of course not, but they are my own ideas. In other words, I personally own them. I shouldn't get upset with myself when choosing to discard a "great idea" of mine. I can't say to myself: You never use my ideas, so I am not sharing anymore with you. That would be absurd. Even though I don't use every inspiring thought that pops into my head, it shouldn't stop me from constantly generating new ideas. I need those ideas to keep flowing.
In business, many times, there are two different groups of people involved around ideas. Some generate, and others decide whether or not to implement. As an artist, I am usually the generator of the ideas and also the implementer of those ideas. If I were to break myself into two parts: the giver of the ideas and the receiver of the ideas, how I respond to second-rate ideas would be different.
The Idea Person’s Perspective
Let's look at this from the idea giver's perspective. In your better moments, you know that just because you have a creative idea doesn't mean it is a great idea. You may think that it is the best idea in the whole world and that it will change everything for the better. Life would be so much better if they would just listen to my idea, you say to yourself. I get it. At the moment, it is the greatest idea in the world. I have been there. I have generated them myself.
How many times have I had a great idea one day, but then it didn't seem so great the next day? Many of us have done that very thing.
As creators of ideas, we must recognize:
1. Creative ideas are just that; they are creative. They are only one way of looking at things. If the "powers that be" don't like or accept your great idea, don't get upset. Granted, you may have to undertake some correction or humiliation because of your idea, but whatever you do, don't let it stop your creativity.
2. Don't let yourself have an attitude that says: This was the last great idea I will ever share with them. Those types of thoughts create a dead stop to creativity.
3. Keep the creative ideas flowing. I know it takes a lot to muster up the courage to share another idea after the last one was rejected, but you have to do it. You have to keep the creative ideas flowing. Don't let one incident stop your creativity. New ideas will continue to come if you brush off negativity. Treat it like water on a duck's back.
4. Don't take it personally, even though it feels personal. Yeah, you had a great idea, and if they would only have listened, it would have changed everything, but they didn't listen, at least not this time. Next time they will because you will have an even better idea. And if no one likes that one, then there will be another.
5. Keep getting back up. Keep thinking creative thoughts. The world needs you. You might even want to check on this great article written by The Young Entrepreneur Council at themuse.com to learn better ways to pitch your ideas to your boss.
The Boss’s Perspective
I have also been on the other side when people have shared their "grandiose" ideas, and I didn't think they were so great. What does the other half of me do when it doesn't like the ideas my creative side shared? Whether you are the boss, CEO, or another executive, how you deal with these second-rate ideas coming your way will be vital to your ability to receive future innovative ideas. So, you have that guy or gal on your team who always comes up with wild-hair creative ideas?
As someone who has been on both sides, I would suggest 3 things:
1. Never squelch creativity. Deep down, I know that every executive wants that innovation at all levels of the organization.
2. Recognize that innovative ideas don’t usually come to us in a nice, neat package. They typically come in the rough-draft form and are not always thoroughly thought out. Let it come raw. It will be okay. If you were to look at my Idea Journal, you would see basic ideas that have in no way been fleshed.
3. Encourage your business’s creative process. . If you don't somehow do this, your competitors will, and they just might hire your creative people right from underneath you. I don't think you want that.
Do you have to implement every idea that comes your way just to "please them?" No. And your staff knows that not every idea is a good idea. Just don't squish those ideas. Don't dismiss the people who shared their creative thoughts. They took the time to share the idea; let's take the time to put the idea in our hands and see what it is before we just dismiss it.
But what should we do when we don't like their ideas, you may ask; Or what do we do when the ideas don't really fit the situation or don't fit with the big picture? What do we do then? That does happen, and we have to be ready for it. There are amicable ways to say "no" without making people feel that you don't want them to share their ideas. You can go easy on them. You can encourage them to keep trying and to keep sharing their thoughts. After all, we need their creative ideas, and the next big idea that they share with you might really be the game-changer.
Until then, Keep the Creative Edge.
Another great read on this is Jennifer Winter’s three-point article on how to nicely say no a bad idea at forbes.com.
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