Guest blog by Dennis Bridges, MBA
An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.“
Arnold H. Glasow
Human beings have the ability to develop complex ideas and plans; I suppose it’s one of the most impressive attributes of our species. However, like many things we’re known for, we have a tendency to over do it.
In life and in business there is a lot of talk, there are a lot of wonderful ideas, a lot of opinions, a lot of plans, and unfortunately, a disproportionate amount of action. Have you ever caught yourself saying any of the following?
- “We’re talking about doing that.”
- “We’ll get to that eventually.”
Be honest, the overwhelming majority of people have done the same at some point, myself included. When ideas are a plenty and there is only so much time in the day it can be difficult to take action or even just decide which ones are worth acting on. Similarly when you have a vision, goal, or purpose in mind it can be difficult to execute, or communicate it to others, and often times we just assume people will catch up or catch on.
In either scenario the “game changer” can be as simple as writing the idea, goal, vision etc. down on paper for others to see and read. This strategy may seem overwhelmingly obvious and/or basic to you, so, why aren’t you doing it? Every once and a while it’s good to be reminded of the clarity and accountability that comes along with writing our strategic intentions/ideas down (or printing them out) on a piece of paper and showing them to the people who are effected by their outcomes.
If there is something you’re trying to accomplish, or an idea you are trying to put in motion this week, I challenge you to write it down on paper and pass it on, you may be surprised by the motivation and clarity you gain from it, and/or the support and momentum you generate for it.
