What Kills an Idea?

What kills an idea?  There are endless ways to murder one.  Here are 10 of the most common ways to ensure your idea goes absolutely nowhere, guanranteed.

A potentially good idea is killed because (of) …

A lack of courage

Really  are outrageous, provocative or unique, but at the same time, fragile. Someone needs to step up and take ownership of a great idea, more so, stand up to the people prefer the easiest option that means less work. Careers may have been lost because of fear, but more have excelled because they took a chance.

It’s too risky

In the history of civilisation, there has never been a Big Idea without risk. Don’t try to remove the risk but keep the Big Idea intact. (It won’t happen.) Someone needs to determine how to prevent, manage and monitor something going wrong, even if needs to be something formal or detailed, such as a risk management plan.

It’s crushed by process

Not at all uncommon to have a sizzling idea at the end of the brainstorm, but then The Committee – a mysterious group of experts who know better than everyone else – wrings the idea of its originality or imagination. Interesting to me that organisations want something consistent, but consumers want something different.

It’s axed because of budget

Not every Big Idea is expensive. But at the same time, you shouldn’t start a brainstorm by telling participants you simply want the cheapest option. Instead, focus on creating the very best idea, then determine how a preferred idea could be implemented in ‘smaller’ ways to work out potential risks or implementation errors. This might include scaling it to smaller markets, trialling it amongst a niche audience, or piloting an idea to a local market. No business methodology suggests a full-scale global roll-out of a new idea. (W Edwards Deming would roll-over in his PDCA grave.)

It’s mangled by the seller

Some people are simply incapable of packaging an idea to make it attractive to the buyer. It could be as simple as bad presentation skills and unreadable PowerPoint slides. Other times the idea is sold to the organisation and not to the end user. It should be pretty obvious that ideas sold only through rational thought will never carry emotional weight to the consumer.

It’s solving the wrong problem

One of the core principles of a good idea:  it addresses the problem. Ideally, the only people who should be involved in brainstorming are the people – such as consumers or end users – who not only understand the problem, but can articulate their unmet need. In lieu of brainstorming with the end user, ensure the participants not only thoroughly understand the problem but the end user as well. In other words, do not define the problem through your own lens. To me, this is entire essence of Design Thinking:  solve the right problem.

It’s based on the wrong information

Many ideas begin because someone needs to justify their personal expectations, their assumptions, or worse of all, their personal bias. The moment I see someone use false information to create ideas, it’s over.

It’s suffocated by fear

Whether it’s fear, ridicule or shyness, some people choose not to share their ideas aloud. Or, the facilitator doesn’t encourage them to speak up and protect them. Ideas not shared aren’t ideas. People need an open, non-judgmental space to let their creativity emerge, perhaps even for another person to help improve and perfect the idea. Or, as the old turn of phrase goes:  A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.

Politics

Sometimes it’s about power. (The idea wasn’t generated by our department.) Sometimes it’s about agenda. (Our territory is more important than your territory.) Sometimes it’s simply preventing someone else from achieve their goals. (I win, you lose.) Sometimes an ego needs to be stroked to get what you want (within reason, of course). Or if someone is in your way, find a way to work around power. Remember, Goliath did not win.

The idea doesn’t have a protector.

This summarises many of the points here. The very best ideas need someone to protect them.

• From the decision maker who’s never left their Ivory Tower.
• From the bureacrats without imagination.
• From the devil’s advocate gracing you with their destructive negativity.
• From the fearful who will do everything possible for prevent change.

Don’t let that happen. Fight for your very best ideas before they’re killed off for good!

Also, don’t be surprised by the No. Here’s what to do if they say no. Or, at least know which type of NO you are getting. Or what to do and say if they say your ideas aren’t creative!

A good link if you want more information, this one from the esteemed John Kotter: Four Ways to Kill an Idea from the Harvard Business Review. (May require a subscription to read.)

Any other ways you’ve seen ideas be killed in organisations?  What have you done to prevent it from happening?  Please add your comments below.