My friend, Allan, is fond of saying, “I’m not the only one with good ideas, and all of my ideas are not good ones.” It’s his way of saying that though he is inclined to do things in a particular way, he recognizes that there are other ways to achieve the same or an even better outcome.
What I love about this concept is that there is never just one right answer. Okay, okay… as a mathematician, I’m compelled to say that there are some truisms in the world of numbers… like 1+1=2. But how about when the “whole is greater than the sum of the parts?” In that case, it seems that, in fact, 1+1>2! Ah… another right answer.
When people come together in the spirit of collaboration to brainstorm and work toward a common goal, the possibilities are nearly endless. In fact, creative master, Roger von Oech, says that the best way to get a good idea is to get lots of ideas. Rather than settling for the first right answer that you stumble upon, look for others. He cites Emilé Chartier who said, “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it’s the only one you have.”
Keep digging. There is a second right answer that is correct, too.
Happy Networking!