Aborting Ideas

 

Aborting Ideas

A senior manager engaged a consultant to investigate why employees were not generating ideas in the workplace. The consultant accepted the assignment and, based on the senior manager's input, identified key individuals to study.

The consultant scheduled one-on-one meetings to gather insights from the selected employees. Here are the responses provided:

1. The first employee mentioned, "Whenever I present an idea, the response is that it is already being applied."

2. The second employee shared, "My idea was considered outdated."

3. The third employee stated, "My idea was labelled as impractical."

4. The fourth employee noted, "My idea requires a huge investment to implement."

5. The fifth employee expressed, "My idea is ahead of its time."

6. The sixth employee remarked, "My idea was dismissed as childish."

After reviewing these insights, the consultant compiled his report and arranged a meeting to present his recommendations to the senior manager.

In the boardroom, the consultant provided the following recommendations:

1. There is nothing wrong with applying an existing idea, but it can be improved and simplified.

2. No idea is outdated; it can be reworked to fit current needs.

3. An idea is not impractical until it is tested and put into use.

4. Some ideas may require significant investment, but we can start with small steps before fully implementing everything.

5. If an idea is ahead, it should be nurtured.

6. Children's ideas can be fresh and innovative; we need to change our perception of such ideas.

The consultant concluded, "Your employees did come up with ideas, but one by one, those ideas were rejected. This rejection has led to a culture focused on tasks rather than idea generation. Remember, an idea is like a child in the womb; it is better to nurture it than to abort it. Today's organisations need people who can nurture ideas, not just those who can generate them."

M.L. Narendra Kumar