Just Say Nay to the Naysayers
by Sylvia Norman
"That will never work", "We tried that years ago", "You're wasting your time", "It can't be done". How many times have you heard these comments after presenting an innovative idea? Are they right? Maybe. Should we listen to them? NO! Well, at least not until we examine the real meaning behind the Nay.
There is nothing new about Naysayers. They've been at it for a long time. You've heard the saying "There is nothing new under the sun." Well that was written thousands of year ago. If innovators had believed THAT, the agricultural, industrial, digital and biotech revolutions would never have happened. Luckily, innovators thrive on a good challenge and aren't easily discouraged. The idea for the first Apple computer was rejected 5 times by Hewlett Packard, but that didn't stop Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. They pitched their idea to other companies, assembled their first computers in a garage and the rest is history.
The truth is, sometimes naysayers are right and our idea will fail, but sometimes they are wrong. So what is the best approach when faced with all this negativity? Just say nay to the naysayers, then take a look at the real meaning behind their words. It may be true that some version of your idea was tried in the past. But so what? Did it fail because there wasn't a market for it? Maybe that's changed. Maybe there's a niche market that was never explored. Has new technology been invented that will make it work now? Did the idea fail for lack of funding or because it didn't align with corporate goals? Did it languish for lack of persistence? These are all good questions to ask yourself. They'll help turn the negative into a positive motivation. They'll help you focus on the important questions and maybe even shed light on new inspiration.
by Sylvia Norman
"That will never work", "We tried that years ago", "You're wasting your time", "It can't be done". How many times have you heard these comments after presenting an innovative idea? Are they right? Maybe. Should we listen to them? NO! Well, at least not until we examine the real meaning behind the Nay.
There is nothing new about Naysayers. They've been at it for a long time. You've heard the saying "There is nothing new under the sun." Well that was written thousands of year ago. If innovators had believed THAT, the agricultural, industrial, digital and biotech revolutions would never have happened. Luckily, innovators thrive on a good challenge and aren't easily discouraged. The idea for the first Apple computer was rejected 5 times by Hewlett Packard, but that didn't stop Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. They pitched their idea to other companies, assembled their first computers in a garage and the rest is history.
The truth is, sometimes naysayers are right and our idea will fail, but sometimes they are wrong. So what is the best approach when faced with all this negativity? Just say nay to the naysayers, then take a look at the real meaning behind their words. It may be true that some version of your idea was tried in the past. But so what? Did it fail because there wasn't a market for it? Maybe that's changed. Maybe there's a niche market that was never explored. Has new technology been invented that will make it work now? Did the idea fail for lack of funding or because it didn't align with corporate goals? Did it languish for lack of persistence? These are all good questions to ask yourself. They'll help turn the negative into a positive motivation. They'll help you focus on the important questions and maybe even shed light on new inspiration.
In a recent interview, our society's most prolific innovator called on the biotech industry to find innovative breakthroughs in clean energy, access to vaccines, cures for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and other diseases Richard Branson BIO 2014 Interview. Oh and by the way, he mentioned a $20M prize for extracting carbon out the earth's atmosphere to help control climate change. Now that's a clear call to action! In his keynote speech Richard Branson challenged the audience to "innovate in everything you do." A clear call to make creative, positive changes in every aspect of our lives - professional and personal. So next time you encounter a naysayer, just say NAY then go out and INNOVATE.
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