Be Open to New Ideas

Guest post by: Robert Whipple
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Situational Transparency - By Robert Whipple

Every day, leaders hear a steady stream of ideas from many stakeholders. Each one has the seeds of greatness, but many require an open mind because they don't fit conventional thinking or seem tangential to the mission. Often these come up in a meeting environment or public interaction. Your reaction to ideas sets the climate for their evaluation.

Avoid prejudging the intent of people making suggestions. It is better to err on the side of being gracious, allowing nearly all ideas to be considered valid, than to cut off someone who had noble intent but difficulty expressing himself publicly.

Experts who have studied the creative process extensively note that the really genius level ideas come from the most unexpected sources. For example, you might have a troop of scientists working on a new cure for a particular disease. They are trying all combinations of materials, but the progress is slow. One night, a janitor accidentally knocks over a beaker of some liquid and it mixes with some residue powder on the table. He noted that the resulting liquid turned red almost immediately. He mentioned this to the group the next day while apologizing for the accident. It turns out to be the breakthrough combination that the scientists were looking for.

If an idea seems "off the wall" say, "That's interesting. I would never have thought of it. On the surface it doesn't seem to fit, but let's look at it more carefully. You may be onto something here." Get your team to identify things they like about the idea, along with the challenges it represents. If you do this honestly, you will uncover creative approaches that will move the organization forward. In addition, the person presenting the idea will realize that all suggestions, no matter how unusual, have value as long as they are sincere.

The cardinal rule is, never let someone feel belittled or embarrassed for bringing an idea to the table unless they are obviously trying to sabotage the discussion. Look for the merit in every suggestion instead of the fatal flaw. It may not be valid in its present form, but suitably modified it could be quite valuable.

In some cases you will encounter a disruptive "grandstander" who continually interrupts and won't let you or others have the floor. Once it is obvious this person is out to derail the agenda, he must be silenced. The best approach is to say, "I appreciate these suggestions, but, in all fairness, we need to allow others a chance to be heard."

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Situational Transparency - By Robert Whipple

About the Author: Robert Whipple

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Robert Whipple is CEO of Leadergrow Incorporated, an organization dedicated to development of leaders. He has spoken on leadership topics and the development of trust in numerous venues across the country. He is author of three leadership books: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind. His ability to communicate pragmatic approaches to building Trust in an entertaining and motivational format has won him top ranking wherever he speaks. Audiences relate to his material enthusiastically because it is simple, yet profound. His work has earned him the popular title of The TRUST Ambassador. Mr. Whipple has been published in several Leadership and Training journals including Leadership Excellence Magazine and T+D Training + Development Journal. He is a frequent contributor to The Rochester Business Journal. He has been named one of the top 50 thought leaders on the topic of leadership development by Leadership Excellence Magazine and one of the top 100 Thought Leaders on Trustworthy Business Practices by Trust Across America. Mr. Whipple has a BSME, MSChE, MBA and is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP). Contact at www.leadergrow.com or 585-392-7763
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