Creating an Atmosphere where Great Ideas can Happen

To make a great idea happen, you have to create the right atmosphere. This is not always easy, but it’s an essential component if your meeting is going to be a success.

This course has been produced to help you create the atmosphere for ideas to occur.

For example, you know that some of the people attending your meetings don’t necessarily want or look forward to a great idea.

Some of the people attending your meeting may:

• have their own contrary agenda they don’t wish to deviate from

• prefer not to reveal what they think and feel

• be afraid of ideas

• not like you, or what you represent, as much as you think they do

This is normal. You can still create an atmosphere where great ideas can happen, even if others may initially think differently.

We also know from experience that:

• Great ideas can get missed when they do occur

• People can vote against a great idea even though they know it’s a great idea

• People can make excuses not to support a great idea

• People can procrastinate, appearing to support the great idea, but actually do nothing about it.

These things can and do happen. But you ought to regard them as good news of sorts because they all demonstrate quite clearly that great ideas can and occur. And as we’ve learned, a great idea is everything. A complete lack of ideas might be far more worrying.

To make great ideas happen, you have to start by creating excitement for progress.

Exercise 11:

Do you think it’s possible to create an environment where ideas can more easily happen?

• Yes I do

• Maybe. It depends.

• I’d like to think so, but it’s not possible really

Explain your why in 24 words or less.

Do you think great ideas get missed in your organisation?

• Sometimes

• Don’t know

• We don’t get that many great ideas

Explain why you think this in 24 words or less.

> Creating Excitement for Progress