Patrick Smyth

Howard Schultz likes to tell the story about the time when he was struggling to turn his small coffee shop business into a unique and successful enterprise. Faced with a seemingly desperate financial situation, his father in law sat him down on a park bench and asked him to give up his “dream and hobby” and to get a “real job” to support his family. But Mr. Schultz could not let go of his dream. He knew, deep down, that his idea would work. More determined than ever, he went on to build the most successful coffee shop business the world has known. Most likely, there is a Starbucks store near you.

Arthur C. Clarke said, “New ideas pass through three periods: 1) It can't be done; 2) It probably can be done, but it's not worth doing; 3) I knew it was a good idea all along.” Sound familiar? What happens when you get that great idea that you know, in your heart of hearts, has the potential to be the breakthrough you’ve been searching for?

First, you are so excited you just have to start telling somebody. The best place to start to share it with friends and family. Naturally they’ll share your enthusiasm, and maybe even help you get it started, right? WRONG! Family members are great for adding one more period to the beginning of Mr. Clarke’s process, and that is, “You can’t do it”. Yes, you. Why do they do this?

Sometimes family members feel a need to protect you from yourself – or so they think. Your great idea can be hard for them to grasp at first. Your idea may be very ambitious compared to anything they know about you, or themselves. They would prefer that you stay in the safety of the little box you are in right now. That way, nobody gets hurt or embarrassed, starting with themselves, by association with your crazy idea. But don’t lose all hope just yet, as a famous classical composer said, “I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.”

Assume, after your first wave of frustration with your family, that you remain committed to the idea. You then reach out to business associates, advisors, and other “experts” in the field. Surely they will see the light and be more independently objective than your family was. Alfred North Whitehead queued up the first phase of the idea process for us by saying, “Every really new idea looks crazy at first.” That’s right, get ready to hear, “It can’t be done”. Or, how about, “It’s been done before”, or, “It’s been tried before and failed, and therefore it will fail again” Aargh!! What’s driving this response? For many it is, simply, fear. For others, it simply is beyond their current imagination. Does that make it a bad idea? Certainly it does not.

Sometimes the naysayer acts as if they are trying to help you by challenging your ability to bring the idea to life. They will say things like, “If ‘big bad companies’ steal your idea, then what will you do?”. Listen to Howard Aiken, “Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats.” They will undoubtedly throw up many smoke screens to veil their own uncertainty and fears at not wanting to stick their necks out for something so risky.

Somewhere along the way in the journey of your idea, you may find people who validate the idea with scientific reasoning, or letters of intent to buy your new product, or recommendations from experts in the field. Now your idea has credibility! Or so you think. Don’t think for a minute that the cynics will be persuaded by this new found wisdom, insight, and independent authority. That brings you to the next step in the idea process, “It probably can be done, but it's not worth doing.” Their own fear of failure and their natural tendency toward risk avoidance is so strong they will not allow themselves to see the potential. So they raise the bar by asking you to justify the value of the idea, assuming it was accomplished.

Real cynics or skeptics will keep throwing new hurdles at you no matter how many times you satisfy their objections. On the issue of fear, let’s turn to Martin Luther King: “The soft-minded man always fears change. He feels security in the status quo, and he has an almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea.” You must believe, however, that potential investors, partners, buyers, and supporters will all, over time, come around to your idea.

When you finally break through, don’t be surprised to find all those friends, family members, and other cynics who were so sure that you and your idea were headed for certain disaster suddenly becoming the geniuses who were responsible for all this success. That’s the last phase of the idea process, “I knew it was a good idea all along”. Or, how about, “I knew he could do it all along”, or, “Heck, I was the one who told him to keep going when he wanted to give it all up”, or, “You know, I remember the day we came up with idea on my front porch”. Now what? Give them all as much credit as they want. Thank them for their encouragement. They will be more charged up and your idea will gain more support. Better yet, they will respect you even more for it.

Every new idea faces these obstacles. People resist change, they fear the unknown, and they are comfortable in their safe little boxes. It takes a special commitment and dedication to an idea to doggedly push through all the flak that you will face as you explore your idea. Sound business ideas that have real potential can have many of the risks addressed by creating a solid vision and strategic plan, and aligning yourself with key people who will help become champions of your dream. The ultimate driver, however, has to be you. Take Walt Disney’s advice: “Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it's done right.”