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Sunday, August 14, 2005

More Than Ideas

I used to fancy myself as being a proverbial "idea" person. When an organization had a nebulous idea of some objective, I've always been one of those people who serves as a fount of ideas (some REALLY good and some quite wacky). Organizations need people like this. Were it not for "idea" people -- those who can envision innovative and creative ways of addressing issues -- most organizations would be stuck in the rut of doing things like we've always done 'em before.

As I grew more and more involved in progressive causes and organizations, I came to realize, though, that we needed more than mere "idea" people to take the reigns of leadership and activism. Yes, ideas are great, but if there's no one to implement them, what's the point? A
stupendous idea or vision means nothing if it never gets off the ground!

In a manner of speaking, I came to realize that most of us "idea" people were supreme copout artists.

One of the great things about ideas is that they aren't constrained by reality. In other words, creative thinking is a liberating act. When developing a new idea, you don't have to worry about its cost, the number of people it will take to develop and implement, the amount of time and resources it will take to blossom, and whether or not it will find resonance with anyone else.

No, you find yourself intoxicated by the power of the creative flow. You feel charged by each and every potentiality. You get lost in all the various hues your innovative vision may hold.

After reveling in your newest creation, you present it to your comrades. Often, people will love your idea and it will spur others to join this free flow of creative energy. Sooner or later, some astute member will say, "Okay, this is great! Who's going to bottom line it?" This question
tends to let all the air out of the balloon. People looked perplexed, particularly the creator of the idea.

In days of yore, I tended to not be interested in putting the meat on the bones. I reasoned that it was enough that the GREAT I had envisioned this marvelous vehicle; I would leave it to others to take the idea from its infancy to fruition.

But folks, that is the REAL need in almost every organization -- workers to implement ideas. This is especially important for most progressive advocacy organizations. We don't have staff people. We're all volunteers. WE have to be the ones to put the meat on the bone.

And so, about 15 years ago, I changed from being an "idea" person to an "idea and implementation" person. I realized it wasn't enough to be a fount of ideas; I needed to commit the needed time and worked toward ensuring said ideas became workable plans of action.

This is what we need today, especially during this time when government is abdicating responsibility for our social safety net. We need people to step forward with ideas AND the willingness to be part of the process of implementing those ideas and others.

Will you be one of those people?

I hope so. We need you...now more than ever.

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