Drive A Stake Through Bad Ideas

"There are no bad ideas."

This is an excellent way to start a brainstorm -- because ALL ideas can be built upon, and sometimes the worst ideas spawn genius.

However.

Ideas that are "fun" and "will get results" but don't drive to a postive long term conclusion are "bad" ideas -- not (necessarily) because they're "stupid" or "dumb," but because they don't trigger the action you need to succeed.  

So before you go off and pursue things that will work (but won't work for you) -- pull the string through on the idea.  Where will it lead you if you're successful? Will it drive the action that you require? Or will it just add fluff and noise or drive action to someone else?

Bad ideas of all types need to be killed and killed fast, or they'll keep resurfacing and throwing people off track. (Read  here for more on being really busy and getting nowhere.)

 

Comments

[Andreamv]

Question: how do you recommend 'redirecting' a bad idea when it is raised? I think brainstorming, or just being creative, is a good thing. But, agree with you that a truly bad idea must be killed--yet this is not really appreciated, is it?

[Lee]

Andrea -- with a strong hand and a smile.