Is the strategy, idea, path forward, concept, suggestion, etc. brilliant or BS?
Here’s a quick test to determine if the idea you are evaluating is truly brilliant or if you are being sold a load of bull:
If doing the opposite of the proposed idea would be ridiculous or make you look stupid then you are evaluating a BS idea.
That initially seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? But that is the trick.
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If an idea is the opposite of stupid then it’s a good idea right?!?
Nope, at that point it’s common sense and not a new or novel idea at all.
Many proposals are built around this exact structure: “you’d be a fool not to do it this way.” The problem is that you aren’t a fool and the proposal doesn’t offer you anything new or different that you aren’t already aware of, however; because it is proposed as a new choice it may seem attractive and worthy of adoption.
Take time to evaluate your decisions and compare them to other options as well as the very real option of staying the current course.
Ask yourself this: “How many times have leaders in your organization led change initiatives that turned out to be nothing more than relabeling the status quo?” Change for the sake of change is a common disease afflicting many organizations these days.
So, be on the lookout for “New Ideas” that are really nothing more than simplistic logic or even what you are already doing repackaged in shiny acronyms and jargon.
Resist being sold an obvious idea by simply asking yourself if the strategy is truly smart or just common sense being pitted against stupidity.
