New Dogs and New Tricks

I have been in the furniture business since 1975. I mention this only to assert that once, I was a new dog, not the old one I am now. I was young, ambitious, aggressive, and knew squat about the furniture business. I was long on ideas and short on anything to base them on. I remember vividly one of my earlier bosses telling me that I should just do the job for which I was hired and stop trying to “reinvent” wheels. I guess his ego would not permit him to recognize that sometimes a fresh perspective can give rise to creative, sometimes inspired suggestions.Now, I know that at that point in my career, many of those inspired ideas were pretty darn lame. Some I am sure were down right dumb. However, some were valid. Some might have been the impetus for other ideas that might have flowed if there had been some real brainstorming between those that were sure that they knew everything about the business and one who knew little. Some early ideas, I put into practice later on, worked extremely well, and were copied by competitors.

I am writing this to suggest to:

Old Dogs: Do not be so absolutely certain that because you have years of experience, you know everything. You never know from where the next great strategy will come. It is sometimes a great positive to have around you young people that have not been poisoned by the notion that “we’ve always done it this way” or who have not yet learned that “it can’t be done”. Listen to them, hear them out; and never, ever discourage them from offering ideas. They may be employees that will someday run your business. Be accepting of the fact that many of their ideas may not be prudent. They may not even be original. But, continue to encourage them to think. Who knows…one of their lamebrain ideas may just turn out to be a nugget of gold.

New Dogs: Never stop thinking. Be creative. Be sure you understand what objectives the company would like to achieve and how your idea may help to accomplish them. Consider all of the possible outcomes if your ideas are accepted. Devise strategies to avoid any potential negative results. Before you present your ideas, think of alternatives and different approaches. Do not be upset or frustrated if your ideas are not accepted and never be afraid to offer your ideas. Very few top executives were, at the beginning stages of their careers, timid; nor were they employees that just did the tasks assigned to them without going a few extra miles.

Today, during these difficult times, more than ever, businesses need creativity and should not be afraid of attempting new strategies. A business may have some highly effective resources working in entry-level positions. Sometimes these resources may just need to be listened to and their thoughts considered.