I got some correspondence on The Idea Orphanage that encouraged me to share advise on reclaiming your idea orphans. I guess it would be rather cruel to raise awareness of the lost and abandoned without giving a way for you to help. So, here are a few ways to get the adoption process started:

1. Write them a letter.
Let them know you haven’t forgotten them. If you don’t write the idea down, you probably will forget it again. Then we’re right back where we started. While you’re putting the idea to paper, also write down the reason you abandoned it. This may help you create solutions to the original hurdle(s).

2. Adopt as a couple.
Share your idea with someone else who might help you “parent” the concept. This also creates some accountability to the idea. Someone else may push you to meet timeframes or make greater commitments.

3. Prepare a room.
If you’re going to bring a little one into your life, you have to create a good home environment. You’ll need to make space in your life, so create that margin now. Do you have the time and overall capacity to add something else to your plate? We don’t want to have a case of neglect on our hands.

4. Consider Their Age
You should treat the idea differently based on age. A younger idea may need more feeding and development. An older idea may need more acclamation to your environment. A lot may have changed over the years, take that into consideration.

5. Know Your Parental Rights
Before you finalize the “adoption,” make sure you know your rights. Should the idea be patented, under copyright or trademark? Make sure no one else already has these rights while you’re at it.

“There are no such things as bad ideas.”

Whoever invented that statement has never watched an infomercial.

There are plenty of bad ideas. The essence of this statement is that bad ideas can lead to good ones. Unfortunately, we either disregard someone’s bad idea altogether or we embrace it, because we’re stupid and don’t realize how bad it is.

Caterpillars can be wrapped in cocoons and made into butterflies. Here are 5 tips for responding to bad ideas:

1. Look past the book cover.
Ask for clarification of the idea. You may discover the idea is better than you thought. Most ideas are initially presented quickly, leaving out much information. The initial pitch is like a book cover. It’s a quick title and subtitle attempting to persuade you to open the book and see what’s inside. As we know, you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover.

2. Try a horse of a different color.
Don’t pitch out the idea completely. Maybe you still use a horse, just change the color. Ask if there’s a way to tweak the idea to overcome objections you may have. Example: “This seems cost prohibitive. Is there a way to do this without incurring so many expenses?”

3. Store nuts for winter.
Maybe I should say, “Store nutty ideas.” Preserve the ideas, even temporarily. If you’re in a meeting, write it on a white board. If the idea was emailed to you, save the email for later. Get away from it for a bit, then come back to it. You may see it in a whole new light.

4. Ask for more bullets.
If you criticize someone’s initial idea(s), you’re taking the gun out of their hands with bullets left in the chamber. Even if their first idea is idiotic, don’t respond hastily. State something like this: “That’s an interesting idea and I want to talk about it more. Before we do that, did you have any other ideas to discuss?” This can’t always be your response or it will be a formula easily recognized as, “That’s pretty lame, but let me patronize you before I tell you so.”

5. Identify Bad Guys vs. Daredevils
Maybe you don’t like the idea because it’s risky. Perhaps the idea is truly good, but carries risk that’s uncomfortable for you. If so, then ask yourself if the idea should be made “safe”… or if you should embrace the risk. You may be surprised by the answer.

There are plenty of bad ideas out there, but these five tips may help you find the beautiful monarch lying dormant inside the worm.

I don’t know how many there are.

Millions? Billions?

I do know they’re alone and wandering. They have been abandoned and forgotten.

How did they get here?

Fear.

Not their fear. Ours.

They are idea orphans. Former hopes, dreams and aspirations who have no guardians.

They were once filled with energy and hope. Now they have no purpose, no passion, no life.

What ideas did you give up on? What dream did you abandon?

Perhaps they’re still here, at the orphanage. You know they’re yours. They stare back with your eyes. They call out with your voice. You both long to be reunited.

What is keeping you apart? Is it fear?

Will you let that fear come between you again?

or

Will you boldly reclaim your ideas – your dreams… today?

I got feedback that my Reasons No One Likes Your Ideas was missing one important reason: your ideas are bad.

I intentionally left that off the list, because it opens a whole new can of worms. I’m ready to open that can now.

You’ve heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a bad idea.”

Not true. There are plenty of bad ideas out there. Some are short-sighted, others are just plain stupid. We know bad ideas exist. We’ve seen them, heard them and thought of them ourselves. This phrase is helpful in brainstorming sessions because you don’t want a brilliant idea to be kept a secret for fear of criticism. It’s not a claim that all ideas are worthwhile.

So, how can you tell if your idea is dead in the water?

1) It puts you in the wrong batter’s box.
In baseball, unless you’re a switch hitter, batting from the other side of the plate greatly reduces your effectiveness. If your idea doesn’t line up with strengths, consider whether there’s a better solution on the right side of the plate. You’ll hit more homeruns by focusing on your strengths.

2) It’s pie in the sky.
Is your idea disconnected from reality? Does it actually solve a problem, or is it just cool? Form follows function. This doesn’t mean your idea can’t be cool. Great design is a must today, but if isn’t purposeful then it’s useless. Be careful. This is very subjective. What you think is ‘pie in the sky’ may be a great idea that simply has to be reconnected to reality.

3) You’re trading flies for frogs.
Is an army of frogs your solution to a plague of flies? Congratulations! You just traded one problem for another (possibly bigger problem). Does your idea create a bigger issue than it solves? Then it’s probably not a solution. It’s just another problem.

4) Imitation is the greatest form of flattening.
I’m not talking about flat hierarchy or “The World Is Flat” thinking. I’m talking about flat as in no peaks or valleys. As in a flatline on an EKG. Flat without anything to grip or hold onto. Want a flat company? Copy your competitor’s ideas. You’ll lose anything that makes you different from the competition. Your products become flat. Your marketing will be flat. And so will your sales.

5) You never wake up from the dream.
I love to dream BIG. But if you never wake up from the dream and make it a reality, what good is the idea? There is a difference between creativity and imagination. Execution. CREATIVITY = IMAGINATION + EXECUTION (C = I + E). In order to be creative, you have to CREATE something. Dreaming big only gets you halfway there. Don’t be afraid to go the rest of the way. Your idea might be great, but no one will know if it’s never created.

This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it always applicable. These five signs help create a rule of thumb. Another reason I didn’t write about this before is I believe bad ideas can lead to good ideas. Give yourself, and others, the grace to throw a bad idea into the hopper. You never know what epiphanies may follow.

This was on my cup of Starbucks coffee today:

The Way I See It #290

On the battlefield of ideas, winning requires moving toward the sound of the guns.

– Newt Gingrich

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives

I’m not big on battle metaphors. Too often they lead to a zero-sum philosophy of “I win, you lose.” or “You win, I lose.” In other words, WE never win. I think that is shortsighted.

Still, I love the perception that courage is required with ideas. That is absolutely true.

Ideas are like love. You only get out of them what you’re willing to risk yourself.

Don’t be afraid of running toward the sound of the guns today.