Always Put “Wow!” Before “How?”
The greatest buzz kill in creativity is critical judgment. In fact, the more critical you are, the fewer ideas you will generate. Critical judgment cast a can’t-be-done verdict before an idea even has a chance to present itself. Critical thinking is good, critical judgment is bad. If you knew how you were going to do everything before you did it, you wouldn’t do very much in life.
When have you ever known how you were going to do everything before you started? Never! No one ever knows all the answers on the front end. You have to wow ideas by giving them time to develop and soar before you assassinate it with how. Fan the flame of creativity in you and the others around you.
Leadership is all about timing. In “The Gambler,” a hit song in the 1970s, Kenny Rogers sang, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run.”
As it turns out, this is profound wisdom not just for gambling, but for leadership as well. You’ve got to know when it’s acceptable timing before you start shooting holes in an idea. Asking the right question at the wrong time can kill innovation.
- The proper question done at the improper time causes reluctance to an idea.
- The improper question done at the proper time causes resistance to an idea.
- The proper question done at the proper time causes resonance to an idea.
Timing is critical if you want harmony and resonance with an idea. If you get the “How?” before the “WOW!” you eliminate possibilities and create dissonance. Be ready to keep doing the same things because you’ll never break out of the status quo when “How?” is asked first.
“How?” is a great question, but only when it is presented at the right time. Only when you have let the idea be heard can you know what to truly ask. Waiting for ideas to fully expose themselves may change the questions and concerns you initially have.
You have to know the “How?” eventually, but it must be asked in the right sequence. Mess up the sequence and you’ll mess up the creative flow. Too many life-altering ideas are lying dead on a conference room table because they were shot down in mid-flight by Howers.
