Every skilled brainstormer has heard the expression, “there’s no such thing as a horrific concept!” as a be counted of fact, it simply might be the #1 “rule” of brainstorming.
However is it truely actual? Are not there at the least some without a doubt bad thoughts lurking within the shadows?
Most folks have at the least a indistinct knowledge of the expression’s meaning-however a lot of us simply don’t purchase it. In brainstorming sessions, when this perception is brought, a heated debate generally ensues. There is usually one thebigideas.net participant, and regularly many greater, who challenge the belief that awful ideas don’t exist. “of route there are terrible thoughts. If we all determined to leap out of the window proper now, that could be a terrible idea.”
In which it all started out
The “no terrible idea” mantra isn’t always a brand new one. Alex osborn, considered through many to be the father of brainstorming, believed that with a view to achieve success at brainstorming, contributors must “suspend judgment.” osborn, like maximum savvy brainstorm leaders, understood the perils of what occurs while people start criticizing thoughts in the midst of a consultation. And maximum each effective organization concept technology method maintains the tradition.
So why do so many human beings feel so passionately that there are, certainly, awful ideas-ideas so terrible they should be stopped of their tracks, prevented from losing the time and electricity of the institution?
To study extra, we determined to submit this query on linkedin, and notice just how varied the responses could be from an expansion of respondents: “we have all heard the expression, there are not any terrible ideas. Do you settle? If no longer, why? If so, what does the expression imply to you?” here’s a small sampling of the range of different responses:
“of course, there are bad ideas. Whilst your product does now not meet purchaser [expectations], it is a bad concept.”
“within the military they used to say the only silly query is the one now not requested. There are masses of stupid thoughts however all of us have to have the possibility to specific [them].”
“we are taught to inspire anybody to say handiest fantastic things to other’s pointers and hold the whole thing exceptional and rosy. Except you need to sit around a campfire, sing kum ba ya and make s’mores, that is ludicrous!
“there are many bad thoughts obtainable, like harming oneself or others, taking advantage of others, and making silly economic and business decisions.”
“leaping out of an plane with out a parachute: a horrific idea… Buying myspace for billions: a horrific concept.”
“i’ve sat in brainstorming classes wherein ‘there aren’t any horrific ideas.’ um, there are. Good enough, some trigger progressive thinking. But, maximum just waste time. Lamentably, many human beings similar to to hear themselves talk.”
The debate, it appears, goes on and on.
So… Are there horrific thoughts, or no longer?
Properly, all of it relies upon on the way you examine it.
There are obviously thoughts that appear unfeasible, impractical, irrational, dangerous and potentially devastating. No considered one of sound thoughts could endorse imposing such an concept, assuming they certainly believed it to be “bad.”
The actual query isn’t always whether such thoughts are “bad,” but alternatively, have to those ideas be forged apart as quickly as they’re voiced?
While attempting to find new, innovative solutions, it is crucial to provide even ideas that resonate as undeniably “terrible” a threat to be considered, debated and advanced. As osborn placed it, we should suspend judgment. He did not say to remove judgment, just to suspend it. This would mean that we are able to sooner or later examine and decide whether a few ideas are unacceptable, impractical or truely off-target. However we have to suspend that judgment until an idea has had a danger to “percolate.”