Office Auntie
2 Jun 08
Find the kind way to block bad ideas
Dear Office Auntie
I am the accountant in a project team. My job is to ensure projects are viable and bring in acceptable revenue. The others often get carried away with great, but expensive and not cost effective, ideas. I hate sounding like I’m always the negative one but I have to bring them back to earth sometimes.
Auntie says
Of course you do and they realise that. In the hackneyed phrase, it’s not what you say it’s the way that you say it. There’s a trick here: let them tell you what will not work! Ask a question. It must be thoughtful, so pause, put your head on one side and frown before speaking. Ask it slowly, as though you are still thinking and then say: “Sounds really good.
How would we measure the return?” Or use any questioning finance-orientated phrase that makes them think again. They will probably fluster. So you go on: “Let me think this one through, it’s such a good idea I’d hate it to get lost.
How can we measure and ensure revenues?” I promise you someone will say something that brings the idea down to earth then you can reply: “Well, don’t let’s lose it, let’s see instead how we can adapt it.” Now you are constructive, they are listening and you can go ahead with your original thoughts. Just remember to make them all positive, statements of what
can be done rather than what cannot. Say something like “If we altered the idea like this, then…?” Or “How about we change just this one thing and then…?”