92. Ideas Are Cheap

Everyone has ideas, some are good, and some are bad. Ideas start with a state­ment like, “We should . . .” or “Management ought to . . .” followed by some rambling. Just because you have an idea, that doesn’t mean it is the best idea. Are you just offering up your ideas in hopes others will take them on? If so, you’ll probably be sorely disappointed.

Are you pitching the idea and others aren’t buying in? If your idea is not ac­cepted, either it was not as good of an idea as you thought, or you didn’t sell it well enough.

Even if your idea is accepted or agreed to, ideas are still cheap. Ideas scream for action and results. If you have an idea, think about how to move that idea forward, not just offer ideas from the cheap seats.

What ideas can I convert to action?