“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea.”
– Emile-Auguste Chartier (1868 – 1951), French philosopher, author and pacifist
Yes, I just quoted a self-described pacifist….I know, weird, right? Still, if we’re going to be difference makers, where ideas are our preferred currency, his point is worth taking very seriously.
I’d argue that if you only have one idea, it’s probably more about desperation than ideation.
It doesn’t have to be a “the heavens opened up” moment, either. Having more ideas can / should be done very intentionally. How?
Ask until there are more ideas. Change the context until there are more ideas. Don’t engage in any “How?” discussions until there are more options to consider. “Huh?” you might be saying…
“What if it was illegal or immoral to pursue this idea?” we can ask. “What would we do then?”
“What are the top three reasons this idea might fail?” we can ask. “What would our response be in each of those three cases?”
It’s less about the answers to those questions than the conversations that take place in addressing them. Ideation is about throwing a lot of paint on the canvas until we have a picture we can justify hanging on the wall. Ideation is about taking on change with no ramifications, no consequences, no downside, because all we’re doing is spit-balling a rigorous game of “What if?”
If we only have one idea to consider, we ought not to consider it. Our currency is devalued in that case. Putting more ideas in play removes the bias, reduces the danger, and increases the commitment to the new idea we ultimately choose.
Editor’s Note: It also has a side benefit. It creates contingencies, even if we don’t realize it at the time.
Make it a great weekend!
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