-
How To Be A Catalyst For Great Ideas
Every leader should have an idea room or designated place where they just sit, think, and incubate ideas. Some ideas will quickly materialize while other ideas will require a slow cooking or crock-potting approach.
The first thing you need to understand is that incubating ideas is a team sport. This means a group of idea people will sit in on your pitch. Honestly, most of us generate very few good ideas. However, experienced and confident leaders know how great those ideas can become when they are shared. This risky behavior allows for a good idea to be compounded and to become a great idea.
It's natural to feel panicky about what you imagine as a steady flow of ideas parading before hard-boiled idea "opinion-ators" who call the shots. And yes, if you let them, they will be. But while they need to learn about what you have to offer, you need to learn about them.
The trouble is, each idea person at the table sees it and expresses it differently. But it's not as tough as you think to discover it. You just have to get them talking. You need to figure out their switch. I'm talking about the universal must-have that flips on the green light (watch for the next blog).
Below are 7 tips on how to be a catalyst for great ideas. Take not of these. I have lived by these seven tips for many years and they definitely boost your ideas. But I must warn you. You must be secure, unselfish, and willing to hear someone periodically say you had a bad idea. Believe me, it will happen. But remember this. They will not damage your brand. Only you can do that.
1. Always be thinking about the business.
2. Always be asking questions about the business.
3. Focus your thinking on potential and problems.
4. Know who the idea people are on the team.
5. Whenever an idea comes to your mind, include them.
6. Ask and expect them to make your idea better.
7. When they do__give them the credit.
How do you know if the people you have called to the idea meeting are the right ones? Ask yourself this. When you walk out of a meeting do you walk out "charged up" or "drained"?
If you walk out of the meeting drained, then you need to quarantine the people who are anchors on the boat instead of "wind that fills your sails." I'm serious. Those idea people who are the "wind" to you, will be a smaller group.
My next blog called "Switching On The Green Light" will offer three tips that will greatly improve you next idea meeting. Blessings on all my friends in New Orleans!
Barry is Founder and President of www.ministryindicators.com , a consulting group for churches under 1,000 who are ready for renaissance. He also serves as a pastor/ consultant / coach for the Missouri Conference of United Methodists. He can be reached at bwinders53@cablerocket.com
The first thing you need to understand is that incubating ideas is a team sport. This means a group of idea people will sit in on your pitch. Honestly, most of us generate very few good ideas. However, experienced and confident leaders know how great those ideas can become when they are shared. This risky behavior allows for a good idea to be compounded and to become a great idea.
It's natural to feel panicky about what you imagine as a steady flow of ideas parading before hard-boiled idea "opinion-ators" who call the shots. And yes, if you let them, they will be. But while they need to learn about what you have to offer, you need to learn about them.
The trouble is, each idea person at the table sees it and expresses it differently. But it's not as tough as you think to discover it. You just have to get them talking. You need to figure out their switch. I'm talking about the universal must-have that flips on the green light (watch for the next blog).
Below are 7 tips on how to be a catalyst for great ideas. Take not of these. I have lived by these seven tips for many years and they definitely boost your ideas. But I must warn you. You must be secure, unselfish, and willing to hear someone periodically say you had a bad idea. Believe me, it will happen. But remember this. They will not damage your brand. Only you can do that.
1. Always be thinking about the business.
2. Always be asking questions about the business.
3. Focus your thinking on potential and problems.
4. Know who the idea people are on the team.
5. Whenever an idea comes to your mind, include them.
6. Ask and expect them to make your idea better.
7. When they do__give them the credit.
How do you know if the people you have called to the idea meeting are the right ones? Ask yourself this. When you walk out of a meeting do you walk out "charged up" or "drained"?
If you walk out of the meeting drained, then you need to quarantine the people who are anchors on the boat instead of "wind that fills your sails." I'm serious. Those idea people who are the "wind" to you, will be a smaller group.
My next blog called "Switching On The Green Light" will offer three tips that will greatly improve you next idea meeting. Blessings on all my friends in New Orleans!
Barry is Founder and President of www.ministryindicators.com , a consulting group for churches under 1,000 who are ready for renaissance. He also serves as a pastor/ consultant / coach for the Missouri Conference of United Methodists. He can be reached at bwinders53@cablerocket.com
Blogs
User Comments
Latest posts by Barry Winders
Barry Winders
