News & Updates:

Like the website?
Recommend Us To a Friend

Step 5 • Evaluate Your Ideas - Part 3

One of the most difficult types of problems to establish criteria on are social problems—those dealing with solutions which are going to affect human lives and living. But even here it is possible. Witness this "Four Way Test" which has been widely distributed by Rotary Clubs throughout the United States:

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

If you can answer "yes" to each of those four questions, chances are your idea will at least be "socially acceptable."

One final example of a criteria listing, also from the military: Some departments of the U.S. Navy use this listing, which will also be applicable to many types of ideas for business prob­lems:

Will it increase production—improve quality?                               Is it a more efficient utilization of manpower?                               Does it improve methods of operation, maintenance, or construction?

Is it an improvement over the present tools and machinery?

Does it improve safety?

Does it prevent waste, or conserve materials?

Does it eliminate unnecessary work?

Does it reduce costs?

Does it improve present office methods?

Will it improve working conditions?

If the answer to any of these is "yes," then, says the Navy, you've got a constructive idea.

As mentioned, the best criteria listing you can develop will be one tailor-made to your problem. You might want to start out by adapting or adopting one or more of the example listings that seem to be close to your own type of problems and ideas. However, the actual questions that you ask about the ideas you are trying to evaluate are not nearly so important as is your attitude in asking. If what you are trying to do is to "knock down" someone else's ideas, or discourage a particular line of endeavor, then you are defeating yourself. The creative thinker looks for possibilities to solve problems—he looks for the 90 per cent that is "right" in any idea, rather than the 10 per cent that may be wrong. And the creative mind realizes that the 10 per cent may be so obviously wrong that it can almost obscure perception of the 90 per cent "right."

Furthermore, a creative evaluation of an idea will include looking for possibilities to improve or develop the basic idea, even if it is pretty good to start with. And, not surprisingly, the way to go about this search for possibilities is again to ask questions and get answers. When you have an idea that looks possible, or even just hopeful, ask yourself questions like these:

What is the simplest possible way of doing it? If a seven-year-old boy were tackling this, how would he approach it?

List on a sheet of paper every part or factor in your idea, then ask of each part: "Is this absolutely necessary?"

Axe you sure you were starting fresh?—or were you being inhibited by customs, traditions, and "the way we've always done it?"

Suppose the whole solution were completely reversed? What new possibilities does this open up? What restrictions does it remove?

Can public (or management, or worker) acceptance be measured? Can you check the feasibility of your idea out where life is going on? Can you learn anything you ought to know by asking the public?

What opportunities are being overlooked either in the problem or in the idea, because no one has bothered to develop them? Have you overlooked "the invisibility of the obvious?" What is the com­monplace in the new idea?—can this be still improved upon?

What are the special needs of the situation? Does this dictate any idea specifications? Are there any situation needs that haven't as yet been expressed?

If your idea won't satisfy the needs of the problem, how could it be modified to strengthen it?

Asking questions like these can frequently lead you to ways to strengthen and improve your ideas.

It is important to remember, when you are evaluating ideas, that instant acceptance of an idea is as self-defeating as instant rejection. Establishing and using criteria or other measurement devices may seem to be a great deal of work to someone used to making quick or "snap" decisions. But it is the only way to discipline your thinking; it is the only way to be absolutely "fair" to all ideas; it is the only way to make sure that you "squeeze every drop" of value out of any potentially good idea. Too often, a person with a problem will go through all the motions of being organized  and  methodical  in  orienting  his problem, gathering his facts, collecting literally dozens of ideas as possibilities, and then will throw all the previous work out the window because he cannot maintain his objectivity and discipline to the end.

A final word on evaluating your ideas is to pass on what may probably be the best single criterion ever developed. It was Charles Kettering's advice, and he believed in it so strongly that he had it painted on a large sign and hung in the laboratory where he worked. The sign read:

"This problem, when solved, will be simple."

Related terms include small business management software and small business loan application.