The Benefits of “Bad” Ideas

Have your proposal delivered by a clown with a singing telegram message for the client? Dress up in soccer gear and kick a ball into a goal to bring home the point of your presentation? Create an interactive boardgame to play at a client meeting?

Probably not, because those sound like really bad ideas! Right?

But did any of those ideas spark other, better ideas? Yes!

We all have bad ideas, and it can take thousands of bad ideas to get to a single good one. If you view things through a lens of ROI, that can seem like a large waste of energy and time. But mostly, we don’t get to the good ideas without plowing through – or even building upon – bad ideas.

While we definitely don’t want to have a clown deliver our hard copy proposals while singing, if we dig deeper, the above idea sounds like, at its heart, we’re trying to make our proposals or delivery presentation more fun, unique, memorable. So, now we can ask ourselves how to accomplish the same goal without the use of costumes and theatrics. Does that mean more color? A design in the packaging? What extra touch or creative angle could stand out within reasonable execution and without risking rejection from the client?

Very quickly, that “really bad idea” leads to intriguing questions and better possibilities.

John Geraci, a former director of new products for The New York Times, wrote an article for Harvard Business Review (HBR) about Embracing Bad Ideas to Get to Good Ideas. He recounts how many entrepreneurs have translated bad ideas into surprisingly profitable ventures, and how many successful businesses find their niche in concepts that others believed were terrible or crazy:

“Great [venture capitalists] invest regularly in things that are, to all outward appearances, nuts. Big companies, by comparison, have no mechanism whatsoever for saying yes to ideas that seem outlandish. But to get to great ideas, they need to be able to do just that. Apple started off selling DIY computer kits, PayPal began as a way to beam money between Palm Pilots, YouTube began as a video dating site. Each of these, in their day, must have seemed like bad ideas. Yet these companies have become the biggest players in now-enormous fields.”

Bad Idea Anxiety

Despite the potential of bad ideas to make unique journeys toward becoming good or even great ideas, we tend to hesitate to toss bad ideas out there when brainstorming (which usually kind of defeats the true purpose of brainstorming).

Even though all ideas are subjective, we typically define ideas that are actionable with apparent merit as “good,” and if they are met with consideration or interest, we feel they may be worthwhile. If our ideas are met with confusion or idle stares, we are generally quick to dismiss them as “bad,” and our fear of being met with a negative reaction can prevent us from bringing an idea to light.

Many people don’t feel comfortable bringing ideas to meetings, managers, or even peers, unless the ideas seem strong and solid and we feel confident in their value. This often results in silence when there’s a call for ideas or feedback; after all, we would rather be thought a fool than open our mouths and remove all doubt, right? (I mean, singing clowns delivering proposals?? Why would you ever say that out loud?!)

Except bad ideas can be stepping stones to good ideas, so we’re probably doing ourselves a disservice. Succumbing to what I’ll affectionately call “bad idea anxiety” means only a small percentage of ideas ever make it to a stage where external input could elevate or refine them.

In Defense of Bad Ideas, Randall Blaugh begins with the premise, “Creativity is fueled by the permission to allow yourself to have bad ideas.” He then goes into detail on the following five benefits of so-called bad ideas:

1.       Bad ideas make us more creative

2.       Bad ideas help us to volume ideate

3.       Bad ideas help us get unstuck

4.       Bad ideas lead to good ideas

5.       Sometimes bad ideas are good ideas

For more perspective on defining bad ideas and what they’re really worth, this TED blog article features nuggets of wisdom from marketing guru Seth Godin:

Here's Why You Need to Have More Bad Ideas

If we can put aside our self-doubt, sometimes we find that a bad idea, once unpacked or challenged in a new environment (outside our own heads), can take root and evolve organically. Given a safe space to grow – or just fall flat – bad ideas can serve as proving grounds of creativity.

Bad Ideas First

Well then, how do we invite bad ideas so everyone feels welcome to share them?

In her TEDx Talk, Caitlin Rogers, co-founder of an explainer animation studio, discussed the positive team dynamics and results that are possible when we embrace The Beauty of Bad Ideas and start with a “bad ideas first” mindset. This helps eliminate the pressure we feel to only bring immediately apparent value to the table. Then, our bad or mediocre ideas have a chance to be infused with the energy and problem-solving skills of other people with different experiences and perspectives.

Worst Possible Ideas

Taking the “bad ideas first” method to its superlative, this Atlassian article encourages teams to start with a “Worst Possible Idea” Brainstorm (WPIB) using Post-It notes and Trello (but a whiteboard, sheet of paper, or anywhere you can make a three-column table will also work well):

Why Your Team's Worst Ideas Are Actually the Best

A WPIB can help teams transform some bad ideas into good ones in three phases:

1.       Capture

2.       Why It’s a Bad Idea

3.       How to Make it Good

Now that we know the benefits of cultivating and sharing bad ideas, the hardest part is being vulnerable enough to throw out the first bad idea and get the creative process flowing.

So, let me ask again: Should you have your proposals delivered by a clown with a singing telegram message for the client? Discuss!