Some leaders, who are considering making charges to their businesses, need to understand how big ideas can fail. COVID-19 has created a lot of new business challenges and you may feel like you need to make some immediate changes.
These may represent the perfect move but they can also become mistakes. For some perspective, let me introduce you to Barry.
Barry is a successful businessman, who’s really good at negotiations. Barry says if you put him in a backroom with someone, then he’ll come out of it with a great deal.
One day, Barry decides he now wants to be known as, “Barry Backroom.” He prints up business cards, builds a website, and even commissions a singer to create a jingle with the name. Barry feels like he has discovered marketing gold.
While his rebranding is exciting, it’s also a little shortsighted. Because if you say “Barry Backroom” to a stranger, he or she might hear it as, “Barry Bathroom.” That is not a name that inspires confidence in negotiations. It probably would work better with a plumber.
When coming up with a new idea or strategy, it’s easy to be like Barry and get very excited, without considering any potential problems. Consider these tips to help you avoid a costly mistake:
Test It First
Barry was so excited about his new idea that he skipped over the testing phase. Sharing the strategy with colleagues, people from other fields, and friends can reveal potential problems. The testing process may also help you discover a better way of describing your change.
In your businesses, before you roll out new policies and procedures, create your own focus group to make sure the concepts are easy to understand, repeat, and follow.
Big Ideas Can Fail When Outside Your Skill Set
Barry is a skilled negotiator but not a marketer. Skill in one profession does not ensure excellence in another.
This doesn’t mean you can’t come up with a great idea and not be a professional marketer. But it’s more likely you’ll make a costly mistake if you don’t consult with one. Excitement doesn’t always mean expertise.
Honestly ask yourself if your idea would be better if you collaborated with someone who is a subject matter expert. Your role may be the one who comes up with the idea, while the professional helps make it happen.
How Will People Hear Your Message?
Big ideas can fail when the average person can’t grasp it easily. In Barry’s case, there could be confusion if someone didn’t quite hear the word, “backroom” correctly.
Even if they did hear it right, would they make the connection between a backroom and skill in negotiations? In a world full of distractions, you can’t count on people’s full attention and comprehension.
Clarity is priceless. Imagine a coffee business where you first order any sweetener or milk before you ask for your kind of coffee. You could run things this way but people are already used to a pattern that sees you ask for coffee, milk, and then sweetener.
There’s a difference between a disruptive idea and one that is just confusing.
Ken Okel Performs Virtual Keynotes
