The notion of "a great idea" can mean different things to different people.  A "great idea" might mean that we figured out a new technique to do a lot less work in order to get the same things done.  Or, a "great idea" might mean that we have fundamentally changed what we think we are doing in the first place.  A "great idea" might also have zero direct impact on what we are doing, but it may change the way we think about the world in the first place.

Regardless of how you classify these "great ideas" we still wonder where they come from, and where they go.

One classic argument for the origin of these so called "great ideas" is that necessity is the mother.  We need to have our backs up against a wall before we can force ourselves to really think differently.  In essence, we are forced into it by circumstances.  An example might be that you own a startup business and you are running out of money.  Oh, and your investors have stopped returning your calls or emails or direct tweets.  Ok, so now what do we do?  Did I hear someone say "global warming?"

Another argument for the origin of "great ideas" is what I call the freedom argument.  For example, some employers set aside an amount of time to "work on whatever you want to."  The theory here is that this self-directed time will unleash fresh ideas that are either stifled by the organization or simply stymied by the day-to-day workload.  Gee whiz, what about this crazy idea?

For my part, I will add two distinct sources to the pile.

Source 1: The Clean Slate
Some people are talented at the clean slate exercise.  In the clean slate exercise, you ask yourself, or your team, what would we do if we could start from scratch?  What would we do if we had a magic wand?  What would we do if we had unlimited resources?  This frees you from the trap of what you have.  It allows you to break the rules.  Of course, you will likely just have to create a new set of rules, and figure out how to move with major constraints, but that's the game we play.

Source 2: Open Your Ears
Learning to listen to other people can remake your world.  Listening to other people means actually paying close attention to what they are saying and what it implies.  Listening means doing the imaginative work to engage with their observations or stories or even their complaints; it’s not about making them feel like you are listening.  It's about actually listening.  It takes energy and focus.  The same could be said of reading.  When you read, are you reading the words, or are you building a new world in your imagination.  There's a big difference.

One thing is for sure.  If we don't capture great ideas in a way that can be communicated and understood, that idea might as well not exist.  If we can't get that idea out into the world, it may, in fact, not even be an idea after all.


Demian Entrekin, entrepreneur

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