When I worked in the robotics industry many years ago, there was this guy named Scott. He just made me laugh one day because I asked him what his role was and he said, “I am the idea guy.”
Why is this funny and how does this apply now?
While ideas are very important and we have to have them, at some point someone has to take the idea and do something with it. There are millions of ideas available right now in the US patent office. Some of them are good, some are bad and some are just plain crazy but all in all they are ideas.
When I hear someone say that they are an idea guy, I always get a bit worried. If you are just an idea guy when did you get the practical and pragmatic experience to know when your idea is a good one?
I am all for brainstorming and getting creative, but I need to something to show up in the physical universe that I can touch, or see results.
Ideation is good only when there is a predetermined outcome that is the goal of the brainstorming.
The reason that I remember this today is because “the idea guy” had a bright idea that could not be executed. The idea guy instructed one of my manufacturers to make a modification on a piece of my equipment. This one “great” idea hindered my progress for weeks as I tried to figure out what had changed in the experiment.
Lesson Learned: Have great ideas. Be creative. But at some point actually get some experience so that you know what will actually get a result in the real world.
How does this apply to the emerging communication technologies?
Be careful who you are listening to in the marketplace.
Ask them these questions the next time you are unsure:
- When is the last time that you did what you are telling me to do?
- What was the result of doing what you are telling me to do?
- Is there another way to get the results that I am looking for?
- How does this translate to real world transactions/results?
- What else can I use this X for?
- Where else have you seen X used?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah, what great advice for all of us “Idea Coaches”. We need to always, I mean always incorporate the task and planning perspective into the excitement of that new idea.
For a while I used to enthusiastically encourage folks to write a book. Yet, I had never written one myself. So, I wrote a book. Then my idea and advice had more perceived value.
When coaching, training or doing a keynote, I must take folks from the idea to the resources, strategies and motivation to get that idea implemented.
Thanks for this great post Dave
Ideas come from listening to yourself and others but it is not those that only listen that succeed. It is those that act upon, do something with what they have heard that receive the results.