Post on 11-Aug-2014
description
presents
Idea Growers vs. !Idea Killers
or How to Communicate Without Squashing What-Could-Be-Great Ideas
–William Bernbach
“An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it. ”
Idea GrowersPhrases that Allow an Idea to Continue Exploring Possibilities
"What are all the possibilities?"
Idea Grower
"How could ___ influence that?"
Idea Grower
"What would happen if...?"
Idea Grower
“Couldn’t we improve this by…?"
Idea Grower
“Wouldn't it be awesome if...?"
Idea Grower
“How many ways could…?"
Idea Grower
“What if we didn't have to consider __?"
Idea Grower
“With whom could we collaborate on this?"
Idea Grower
“If we were [our competitor/a startup/an inventor/a billionaire],
how would our approach change?"
Idea Grower
“How does this differ from the expected approach?"
Idea Grower
Idea KillersPhrases that Stop an Idea
“Already tried it."
Idea Killer
“Someone else has done that.”
Idea Killer
“That sounds crazy.”
Idea Killer
“I don’t like it.”
Idea Killer
“We don't have time to...”
Idea Killer
“That sounds like it would take a ton of time.”
Idea Killer
“That sounds like it would be too expensive.”
Idea Killer
“That sounds like a legal nightmare.”
Idea Killer
“That sounds too risky.”
Idea Killer
“That’s not important.”
Idea Killer
“Maybe under different conditions...”
Idea Killer
“Impossible.”
Idea Killer
“It's good enough.”
Idea Killer
Idea GrowersGenerally Questions
Idea KillersGenerally Statements
vs.
–Steven Spielberg
“All good ideas start as bad ideas. That’s why it takes so long.”