Idea Fragments

Everywhere you look in society you see examples of great ideas (cars, airplanes, democracy, the internet, etc. ). Obviously, these things did not just happen all at once; they were developed over time. The ideas started as a fragment, then more fragments were added and refined until the product was complete and ready to go. I visualize a product on an assembly line that moves steadily along with each employee adding a screw, a nut, some paint, or something else. It's important to acknowledge that the truly great ideas are the result of teams of people working together, each person adding a few fragments.

Fragments are most fully appreciated when people see the final product, but what about at the very beginning stages of development? It is common for people to look at an idea fragment from someone else and shoot it down as worthless or even counterproductive. What does this do to the inventor? Some give up their ideas, some keep going. The ones who keep trying new things are the ones who experience success.

I'm not saying that all fragments end up getting used. Some are considered for a brief time, then discarded. Some are considered worthless for the current idea but helpful in some idea down the road. Therefore, I'd like to make a few recommendations for those who hear seemingly bad idea fragments of others:

1. Affirm the person's creativity. Encourage them to continue thinking.
2. If you hear something that sounds like a lousy fragment, ask them how long they've been thinking about it. If they say they just recently thought of it, don't shoot it down. Give them time to consider the practicality of their idea. On the other hand, if they say they've been thinking about it for a month, assume that they've thought through the idea from multiple angles and ask them to explain more about what they have in mind.
3. Look for a place that their idea fragment would be a better fit in a different area and tell them so.
   

Here are a few things for aspiring inventors to keep in mind:

1. More than likely, your idea fragment is intended to help reach a certain goal or fix a certain problem. State the goal or the problem before telling your idea fragment. Once the person understands what's motivating your idea, introduce your idea by saying, "I'm starting to think of ways to reach that goal (or solve that problem), and here's what I'm starting to consider...."
2. Assume that most people will disagree with your idea at first. Don't share it until you're ready to hear some criticism. Waiting will also give you time to develop the idea fragment so that there will be a warmer reception.
   
3. Recognize the need for criticism as a part of an idea's development. You will not see all the weaknesses of your own ideas, but the weaknesses are still there. If nobody points them out, there's no way you can fix them. Sometimes, you can also invite the person who sees the weakness to help think of a way to compensate for it.
   
4. Whenever sharing an idea fragment, first tell your audience that you've just begun to think about it. That helps people be more gracious toward the idea.

You may have heard the acronym TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More). It is essential for teams of people to work together to make great things happen. When we work together, there is a time and a place for pointing out weaknesses in ideas, but when there is an overriding sense of support and teamwork, truly great things can be accomplished.