Coming up with great ideas is a good thing. Killing those ideas before we give them the opportunity to develop is the bane of the creative process. Innovation sometimes stems from the commitment to continuous improvement. It may be to improve company performance, critically review strategy or streamline operations.
Good, creative, ideas should be the focal point of the creative journey, but we tend to kill those ideas because we get defensive, and yes — idea killers stop progress in its track. It can be a rolling of the eyes, a vehement stance as to why something can’t be done, or the pulling of authoritative rank to ensure you kill the idea before it can get any traction.
We expect our people to be creative and “think outside the box.” In reality, we become the greatest stumbling block to innovative thinking. Let the ideas flow BEFORE you evaluate them.
(And remember, a glass of wine can only help creativity. Cheers!)
About Hemant Rustogi