135: Getting To Great Ideas

<p>We find it frustrating when we have good ideas or suggestions but all we receive is rejection or even worse criticism of our ideas.  Part of it can be the culture of the organization.  I was listening to some friend’s episodes about working life at a major global cosmetics brand, where the culture was purposely made combative.  I laughed when I was told the Meeting Room was called the “Confrontation Room”.  Actually it was a nervous laugh, because that is probably the last place I would want to work.  Now I have been studying traditional Japanese Karate for the last 46 years, had a 20 year career as a competitor and so the “combative” part isn’t intimidating for me.  What horrifies me is the damage that type of culture and thinking does to the potential of the organization.</p> <p> </p> <p>I was assured that despite the toxic nature of that organization, it was still very successful and the Darwinian approach produced winners.  This strikes me as a very ancient way of thinking and completely out of touch with the modern world.  The presentation sessions for new projects and ideas in the Confrontation Room were brutal.  Shredding people’s ideas publically was thought to be necessary to produce the most robust solutions.  Maybe you or your own organization has a similar approach?</p> <p> </p> <p>It might toughen up the survivors, but there would have been a lot of valuable ideas kept to themselves, so as not to invoke scorn.  This is the issue – how do we get ideas out that can stimulate everyone’s thinking.  When we savage someone’s contribution we cancel their idea creation ticket right there.  My crazy, unworkable, ridiculous, stupid idea might be tweaked by you into something really valuable.  Without my nutty offering though, you would not have seen the better possibility.  This is the problem with ripping into people for not putting up perfect ideas from the start – they stop starting and remain silent instead.</p> <p> </p> <p>Confusing the stages of the innovation process is harmful to individuals and org