Turn An Unsuccessful Idea Into A Success

Often an idea from a brainstorm session may include in it a factor, which makes a previously unsuccessful idea potentially successful. This is why the ideas must be taken down verbatim and not cleaned up by the secretary. For example, if the problem being brainstormed were one on how to stop damage of your product when it is being shipped, one of the session members might suggest crating it-an old idea, and one that has proved too expensive-but he also might mumble something about staples. That might be the key to the design of a crate, which could be quickly and cheaply assembled with a staple gun. Or take another case: you might have the idea for a new product, a good idea, which has always been unprofitable in the past, but which might be very profitable if it is made of a newly developed plastic.

The man who does the screening, therefore, must combine a great deal of experience with a still vigorous and youthful approach to his work. He must, in other words, be a man of good judgment, able to distinguish the old from the new, the practical from the impractical, and the impossible from the possible.

When the individual or the committee screens the list and comes up with the top ten ideas, then the committee decides the next steps to be taken. Should the solution be studied further, should it be bucked over to a specialist, to a consulting firm, or should the company reference library be consulted to see if some similar solutions have been tried? The

committee should also decide if test models are to be made, or trials run.

This is also the time to decide to whom the ideas should be passed, to what level of management, or to what executive for decision and implementation. If proper aim is not taken, the whole virtue of the brainstorm session can be lost. The committee should also decide what form should be used to present the idea, and many times it will also brainstorm the best way in which to sell the idea.

Then the chairman reports to the brainstorm members. He should tell them, by memo, how many ideas are being acted upon. There is no reason to tell them which ideas or why ideas have been chosen or rejected. That only starts wasteful debate or discussion. He should make sure that they know something has been done with their ideas.

It is wise to pass only a screened list to the boss. If he sees ninety-eight ideas and is busy, he may read ten, twenty, or even thirty, say, “This is nuts,” and hurl it into the wastebasket. The forty-third idea is one that might have increased his business by a million dollars or more.

Give him a screened list of only the very best ideas. If he wants the whole list, give it to him later. But first present him with the best ideas. Save his time, and sell him on brainstorming at the same time. The ideas you give him should be on one side of a paper and only one idea to a page, so he can act on it immediately, initialing it, and shooting it along the proper channels for action.

Remember that the brainstorm session is not a flighty affair. Sound, professional judgment must be applied to the ideas, and all the skill and experience you have at your command must be used to turn them into fact. If you do this, if you follow through all the way, you will find that brainstorming has a fabulous pay-off.