Linus Pauling said, “If you want to get a good idea, get lots of ideas.” In fact, there are many effective techniques for getting lots of ideas. But having too many ideas can cause problems. Scott Belsky wrote about that in an interesting post on Open Forum the other day:
After spending countless hours developing and polishing ideas, we tend to become attached to those same ideas (whether they are good or bad). The result can be a great deal of wasted energy and effort. It’s time to sever ties with (some of) our ideas and send them to the graveyard!
Belsky is right. Whether we generate ideas ourself or within our company, we may have trouble evaluating them objectively. Where can you go for help to sort the good from the bad?
As Ric Franzi points out in Critical Mass: The Ten Explosive Powers of CEO Peer Groups, one of the functions of a peer group is to provide each member with solid reasoning. When a CEO sits around a table with nine or ten trusted peers, he or she can rely on collective wisdom based on at least 100 years of experience. And since your peers are interested in your success, and not irrationally attached to your ideas, you can count on them to give you solid feedback on which ideas are worth keeping and which need to be cast aside.
You don’t have to make all your decisions by yourself. Sometimes you need a little help from your peers.
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