Journey Into An Idea

When presented with a new idea, most of us tend to look for the flaws in the idea and react with quick decisions - yes/no, good/bad, valuable/worthless, go/no-go.

Here’s a simple process to help you remain open to new ideas and explore their value.

1. List all the things the idea has going for it, e.g. it is fast, the color is great, it will lead to other opportunities.
2. List your major concerns about the idea, e.g. it is slow, the clients will not like it.
3. Scan (brainstorm) ideas that may overcome the idea’s “flaws”. For example ask, “How can we do it in less time?” or “How can we make it less costly?” or “How can we get his buy-in?”
4. Focus (decide) on the best ideas(s) that generated in the scan
5. Go do something with the best ideas, e.g. research, test, implement
6. Scan – Focus – Go again, and again, and again.

Remember, creativity is a journey into the unknown. The final destination is often different from the one you originally imagined. Stay open.

Think of a time when you a seed idea you had morphed into another.