There’s a careful process that comes with having ideas and bringing them into the world. Initially born in the bedroom, we keep ideas in the privacy of our mind. We nurture and grow them until we feel they’re mature enough to expose. Once ready, we bring them into the town square. It’s here that we hope to find allies and collaborators and receive the feedback necessary for an idea to grow.
Deciding when to bring an idea out is by no means trivial. Hold onto it for too long and you risk sheltering it. The idea grows out of touch with reality and isn’t malleable enough to adapt to truth. It will be strong enough to handle the opponents in the square, yet too hardened for successful collaboration. The idea will live on, but have a hard time growing.
The town square is a ferocious arena, however. Populated by egos and competing perceptions, it’s certain to bludgeon any premature idea to it’s untimely death. There are allies in the square, potential collaborators moving about, but discerning them isn’t as easy as it seems. Ideas are subjective. Even those who are regularly allies may be enemies to a new idea, even unintentionally.
Before sharing an idea, it’s good to ask a couple questions:
- Does your idea need collaboration to be successful? Does it benefit from being shared?
You probably don’t need to tell everyone about your new diet and workout plan. You might find allies, but you’re equally as likely to find challengers questioning why. You don’t need their collaboration to be successful, you simply need to execute. - Does your idea have the critical mass necessary to survive a bludgeoning?
Even the best of allies may think the right response to a new idea is a good vetting, a challenge to its feasibility. I’ve personally had many an idea die because it was shared before it was ready. This is subjective, of course. Some people are able to stick it through, while others will abandon their idea in the square. Know thyself. - At what point will either/both of those questions be yes?
Maybe you don’t need allies for your diet today, but you will in two weeks when you’re struggling. There is a magic moment where an idea can be ready for and benefit from exposition and collaboration, and it is a skill to manage both.