From the President

From The President Chicken Counting

Hatching new ideas without considering possible outcomes can create unwanted challenges.

Examine your idea from every angle and ask yourself, ‘What could go wrong?’ This is important because it will assist you in understanding points of failure, and it will help weed out any weak points.

As a leader, it’s up to you to dream up the next great thing for your business. Ideas can come from anywhere—your team members, or your family and friends. Ideas can also arise during times of deep contemplation. When an idea comes to mind, taking the time to carefully think it through will make all the difference. It’s a good practice to consider every possible twist and turn in the journey. Try to envision the outcomes in varying scenarios to avoid any pitfalls.

From a Burst of Inspiration

Both good and bad ideas might seem to come from nowhere. Regardless of your creative inspiration, it makes good sense to write them down when you think of them. You don’t have to act, just make a note on your phone with a reminder. This will keep it on your radar. I like to write down the idea and anything else that comes to mind at the time. Capture the thought and save it until it’s time to review for possible action.

Consider the Necessary Resources

Before you turn an idea into action, think about what it will take to implement. What resources will you need? Think human resources, financial considerations and any possible distractions from your core mission and goals. Just because it may disrupt your current focus doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. It could become a new business venture. It’s important not to put limits on your idea based on what you’re capable of at a certain point in time. Let the idea come to fruition on paper without restrictions. Then review what you can do—what’s possible now—and what will require new resources or skillsets to accomplish.

Be Honest With Yourself About What Could Go Wrong

Examine your idea from every angle and ask yourself, “What could go wrong?” This is important because it will assist you in understanding points of failure, and it will help to weed out the weak points. Be honest with yourself: You’ll need to be very critical and really put your idea to the test. It’s easy to get excited about great new opportunities, but you need to consider every possible outcome. In other words, don’t count your chickens before they hatch. What factors could cause you to fail? Follow your instinct. What aspects of your idea give you pause? Later in the exercise, you can review each point and then look for solutions. Put your idea under the microscope and apply pressure.

Understand How YOU Define Success

No idea will be complete without understanding what success looks like for you. “Success” can mean many different things to many different people, so be sure to consider what it means to you personally. New ideas can produce awesome results. They can be game-changing at times. Make sure you take the time to define success, then review it and understand whether or not your initial idea will make a positive impact on your business.

Decide When It’s Time to Act

Without action, your idea is just an idea. It can be filed away and easily forgotten. Don’t let that happen. Make sure you set aside time to review each brainstorm. It only takes one good idea to make a difference in your business or your personal life. No idea, big or small, should be cast aside. Your creativity is what led you to where you are today. Make the effort to turn what you learned into action, a move which will help you stand apart from the rest—always learning, always dreaming, always striving for triumph.