Are you a “Chief Idea Killer“? My guess, is you are. Let’s face it, most businesses are copycats of other businesses. And, most businesses operate by a “play not to lose mindset” where employees are rewarded for maintaining the status quo and rocking the boat is avoided at all costs.

It is what it is.

How do you know if you’re a Chief Idea Killer?

This is a human problem. The way people talk and behave; their attitude. Remember, innovation is as much about perspective and attitude as it is about process. It’s the attitude that we’re focusing on here. You are stopping innovation if you, or your team, say any of the following statements:

1.  We have never done it that way.
2. Don’t rock the boat.
3. It’s not my job.
4. What will the boss think?
5. We’re not ready for that.
6. It’s not practical.
7. It won’t work here.
8. Let’s think about it some more.
9. It’s not in the budget.
10. It won’t get approved.
11. We’ve tried that before.
12. That’s not how we do things around here.
13. It’s too risky.
14. Let’s be realistic.
15. We have more important things to focus on.
16. Management won’t support it.
17. Our customers won’t like it.
18. It’s too complicated.
19. We don’t have the resources.
20. Let’s form a committee to discuss it further.
21. We’ll address it in the next planning cycle.
22. It’s against our policy.
23. We might upset our current processes.
24. The market isn’t ready for that.
25. It’s not part of our company culture.
26. We’ve survived this long without it.
27. It’s too ahead of its time.
28. We’ll never get everyone on board.
29. What if it fails?
30. That’s above my pay grade.

These statements often hinder innovation and discourage employees from sharing new ideas. No organization is immune to “idea stoppers”. Recognizing and addressing these idea-stoppers can help foster a more creative and forward-thinking organizational culture.

What would you add to the list?

Also published on Medium.