People can be very proficient at their job, they can be skilled and they can have knowledge and experience. One thing though is essential for all communication professionals and that is the ability to have, share and develop ideas. Without ideas we are competent people but we will lack creativity.
Ideas are what makes communication exciting for me. It is a chance for us to do new, innovative and interesting things and to get organisational buy-in to try something different and to take a step into the unknown. We can be problem-solvers, business developers and service designers. With ideas there should be no boundaries.
I was involved in a Twitterchat tonight about the subject of idea development and it made me review my personal views on ideas. At the heart of the topic for me is the ability to have ideas, lots and lots of ideas. It is only when we have a lot of them that we can work with others to identify the good ones, the gem that will have a huge impact on the organisation.
We need to be working with others. It doesn’t mean we have to be working in a total co-operative way but the best ideas come from discussing with people, bouncing ideas around, considering adaptations, and then bringing things together. It is only when we can do this that things will develop and we can see the potential successes and failures.
This is not just the realm of the communication professionals. Everyone in the organisation should be able to get involved in ideas creation and generation. The challenge will be finding ways to do it without it being seen as a cynical management ploy or switching people off. It means understanding the organisation and those working throughout it. Once you understand them you can find what will switch them on and make them keen to get involved.
I love ideas. I love the process of identifying a problem and working to find a solution. I love the opportunities and the possibilities that we have. We just need to take time to allow ourselves the space to grow and nurture our ideas.
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