Idea rats
[I am going to keep this generic, because it happens quite often in different scenarios. So don't think I'm talking about you. Although maybe I am! :o)]
You know what bothers me? When someone says, "I think x is a great idea and I think we really need to do x," all the while looking meaningfully at you and meaning, "I think x is a great idea and I think you need to do x." I've recently had a couple of people push an idea that when it came time to take some responsibility and make it a reality were suddenly saying how busy they were and couldn't help, but really, someone (i.e., me) should still run with it. Um, thanks for that idea. I'll get back to you.
The world is full of great ideas - it isn't hard to come up with them, really. The difference is between those who can only think them and those who can make them a reality. An apocryphal Bill Gates quote says, "Shipping is a feature - sometimes it's the only feature that counts." (Yes, I know Joel Spolsky said it last fall, but I've heard that quote for at least ten years, and I believe longer than that, so I'm sticking with Bill). Often it doesn't even have to be a great idea - it just has to be executed. Let's call it "idea entrepreneurialism."
So please, pledge to not be an idea rat. If your idea's worth doing, it should be worth doing by you. Sure, you can ask for help, but don't just toss ideas out there and hope someone else will have the gumption to make them a reality. Let's quit using the word "we," shall we?
Please?
5 comments:
It reminds me of a television commercial I thought was hilarious a number of years ago...where two guys were pitching an idea to some corporate exec, and he said, "I love your proposal. Let's do it!"
The guys looked at each other. One spoke up: "Uh...we don't actually...DO what we propose."
Guy number 2: "We just propose it."
I don't even remember what the commercial was selling. I just always laughed at the absurdity of it. :)
Jeff,
I am flabbergasted (a favorite word lately - I must be getting old) by the number of people who seem to feel like they're adding value simply by excreting ideas, instead of wanting to be involved in MAKING THEM HAPPEN.
But....but I don't want to actually do anything. I am more of a supervisory type. :)
Erin, are you saying you're a PHB? :)
Absolutely! :) (Assuming by PHB you mean pointy-haired-boss.)
I like to theorize, but more than that I'm philosophical, asking the question "should we?" and "why?" This is just about my favorite line from a movie, it's from Jurassic Park:
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Don't we need people to do that part, too?
In all seriousness, I want to be more of a doer, but I'm not.
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