“Gadzooks, my Dear Watson, I think I have it.” – From Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series of mystery novels.
There is a theory that as we age, we gain wisdom. If you agree, you’re probably getting a “little long in the tooth!” Still, with what you’ve been through, there has arguably been growth in sagacity!
It is said that great ideas don’t just happen. So how do they happen? If we were to ask a team of experts to zero in on what assists the process of getting from thought to fruition of the idea, here is what we would find:
1. Allow like people to exchange their ideas. They may have varied characteristics and personalities, but with some leadership, the best ideas will be exchanged and discussed. If the discussions reach an impasse, the leader(s) of the group should step up and get it back on track.
2. Don’t get off track. When the initial idea is isolated, focus in on it and then make a note of it. There may be thousands of reasons not to go ahead, but it only takes ONE reason to go ahead.
3. Make sure everyone within the group knows the common goal.
4. A great idea can always be improved upon. Look at the microchip industry!
5. What occurs when the expert team can’t get it together? As often as not, “outsourcing” an expert can be of invaluable assistance. At times they can see what we cannot see.
6. Looking to your own workplace for new ideas creates a synergistic atmosphere. Seeking to make a better mousetrap is not a new idea, but it is seldom encouraged.
7. There’s no such thing as a stupid idea or thought, regardless of how off-the-wall it is. Every idea does not lead to a Subway sandwich, the invention of duct tape or innovative wiper blades from Canadian Tire. Once the better ideas are separated from the weaker ones, it is time to isolate and improve on the better ones. Take copious notes on every idea. An idea that doesn’t make it to fruition may someday be needed and utilized. Nothing is more constant than change.
8. Look into the future. Show what can be achieved from the new idea and what needs to be corrected.
Don’t disrespect the views of others. Sometimes the weirdest ideas can be used and they are a fulcrum of the most advanced thinking. It may not give immediate and satisfying results, but it is where many of the best ideas come from.
If you have patience, working on new ideas will, in the end, be worthwhile.
Peter Druker, on the making of great business leaders, wrote in Fortune Magazine: “The problem is not just to get rid of programs and products that have obviously failed. The problem is to get rid of yesterday’s successes that have outlived their potential.” He further states in the Fortune article, “When one postpones an idea, he actually abandons it and nothing is less desirable than to take up a project today that one should have taken up yesterday…to do five years later what it would have been smart to do five years earlier is almost a sure recipe for frustration and failure.”
Oscar Wilde, the author of many books and articles, once wrote: “The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates.” So, if you’re looking to improve production, increase the number of listings double-ended, or make a more efficient front desk, then brainstorm it! Who knows what can happen when fertile minds get together?
You may just come away a more profitable, efficient and effective brokerage, and a more efficient, effective and profitable business model.
If you try this format of thinking “within the box,” I’d love to hear from you.
Quote of the month: “How exciting are your dreams…Most people don’t aim too high and miss…they aim too low and hit!” — Bob Moawad
Stan Albert is celebrating his 35th year in real estate, and is a committee member with TREB and RECO. He is a registered trainer/consultant, and is now in his ninth year with Re/Max Professionals in Toronto. Email salbert@trebnet.com; (416) 232-9000.
Discuss this article in the REM Discussion Forum.
Stan Albert, ABR, ASA is a consultant with Re/Max Premier in Vaughan, Ont. He can be reached for consultation by email. Stan is now celebrating his 45th year as an active real estate professional.
