Scott Berkun: Last week in the creative thinking course I’m teaching at UW, we spent time listing idea killers. Statements we’ve heard, or used, that stop ideas in their tracks.
Mostly these are used as thought inhibitors: they don’t require any thought to say. They’re used as flinch negative responses, dismissing without explanation. Unlike real critical thinking, which offers a path (e.g if you can overcome x, y and z we’ll consider it) idea killers are lazy dead ends.
Idea Killers
- We tried that already
- That never works
- Would you like a pony?
- Looks like ass
- You’re fired
- We will actively work against you
- (Laughter)
- Not in our budget
- Not an interesting problem
- We don’t have time
- Execs will never go for it
- Out of scope
- But its the law
- Too blue sky / Holy grail
- This train is on fire
- Wont make enough $$
- Not in our business
- Its Non performant (engineering)
- What are you on?
- Can we get someone with a brain in here?
- That isn’t what people want
- No response at all
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