|
Have
you
ever
noticed
that
some
people,
when
confronted
by
a
new
idea,
always
seem
only
to
find
what's
wrong
with
it?
Admittedly
many,
perhaps
even
most,
innovative
or
novel
suggestions
have
problems,
bugs,
infelicities,
or
fatal
flaws,
but
some
people
seem
to
delight
in
finding
what's
wrong.
And then they stop. Perhaps they're simply trying to kill anything new to make sure they don't get knocked out of their comfort zone. Perhaps they genuinely believe that new ideas should be tested to destruction. Whatever the reason, some people are unremittingly negative. That kills innovation. Instead, strive for balance. Don't get me wrong, new ideas need to be examined from all sides. I've learned from personal experience that business proposals need to be tested in the fires of relentless criticism and nay-saying. But when comments are entirely negative, the target will eithers give up, or will ignore what might prove to be valuable advice. If they do give up then you'll probably say it wasn't worth pursuing anyway. But can you be sure? Strive for balance. Don't just try to find the negatives, find the positives as well. Maybe the proposal you're facing in its current form has got fatal flaws, maybe it cannot work, maybe it's hopelessly useless. But in all probability the person proposing it isn't a complete moron, and maybe, just maybe, there's the germ of a world-changing idea or invention that you're missing. See if you can be the one to find it. By all means be honest and be critical, but also be supportive. Strive for balance. |