Marshall Goldsmith in his Jan 21, 08 blog posting, makes a very interesting observation: if someone shares an idea with you let them have their idea. "Hey that's a really good idea - you know what should should also do...". As Goldsmith puts it - you may add 5% value to the idea, but the gal that had the idea may have lost 50% of her motivation in execution. This happens in all kinds of ways.
In one large company, in 1997, the idea of people having their own personal web page was brought up to a 'committee' that oversaw the company's intranet. The committee said no way, people might put bad things on their sites. Of course it's now a million dollar industry! In 2007 with the advent of an innovation program at the company, the idea was re-introduced. The idea went to this group of directors and that group special innovation people. After 9 months - yes, 9 months - the idea had become some watered down thing. It's bad when I say you should add thus and such to your idea. It's down right nasty when a committee does that! Who can feel good about an innovation process that takes 9 months (some kid in his garage probably invented myspace in that amount of time) with a committee that changes it. If I can bring down your desire to execute by 50% can you imagine what a committee can do??
What's it all about? My ego. Ego goes into the closet, your idea should go to completion.
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