The value of letting ideas breathe
A healthy team gives the potential for life to every idea. Every idea has a chance to live. Initially, there are no bad ideas.
Healthy teams don’t contain a built-in idea killer. And if there is one, they aren’t allowed to remain so for long.
Ideas need a chance to breathe. They need to be stretched and prodded and examined.
The best ideas sometimes come from what started as a seemingly really bad idea. Genius ideas are often killed before they have a chance to develop into their greatness.
That’s why healthy teams have freedom and regularly:
• Brainstorm
• Analyze
• Test-Drive
• Push Back
• Critique
• Debate
• Challenge
• Collaborate
• Dialogue
• Listen
• Discuss
Every. Single. Idea. Given a chance for life on a healthy team.
Healthy teams remain open-minded about an idea until it’s proven to be a bad idea.
It doesn’t have to be a long process. It could be a short process.
But healthy teams give every idea a chance to live.
That is because healthy teams know there is value in the collection of ideas on a team.
As a leader, some of my favorite things to say are things like, “I love it,” “Thanks for thinking outside the box,” “You might be on to something,” “Lets give it a try,” “That’s great, so run, don’t walk, to make it happen.”
Leader, next time your team gets together, open the floor of discussion to ideas. Ask a few good questions to start the dialogue. Let everyone put all their ideas on the table with no fear of embarrassment or retribution. Watch for collective brilliance to develop .
Have you ever worked with an idea killer? How did it impact the team?
Read more from Ron Edmondson »
This article originally appeared on RonEdmondson.com and is reposted here by permission.
