During these change-critical times… everyone… yes EVERYONE in any type of leadership role needs a special “NO/WHAT ABOUT?” personality check!  Specifically I am recommending that you honestly assess your typical first response to a co-worker when they pose a new idea, alternate action, personnel change and/or service redesign.

Is your immediate response:  “NO… not at this time.”  Or something like:  “WHAT ABOUT cost or that thing failed in the past.”  Do these words sound even remotely accurate?

This week’s TRIPLE III TIME message is all about creating and maintaining a culture of new idea generation.  Good ideas are hard to come by!  Even if the concept is way too difficult to initiate… or too costly to the organization/business… a single “stifling-word” can eliminate a truckload of high-value unique thoughts and possible innovations!

As you complete your initial response assessment…ask these kind of questions:

• Is NO an answer of convenience and no extra leadership effort is needed?
• Are finances a true concern or is lack of money an easy hiding place for having to try something new?
• Is it really a fact that no one has tried a suggested new idea or is innovation a personal fear factor?
• Has there really been similar innovations that have failed badly?

I am going to use some of my previous words to offer my position on today’s topic:

“During these change-critical times… good ideas are hard to come by!”

Change waits for no one… so be the leader that sparks the cool change… rather than the leader who is always dreading the need to change.