Eventually everything you do in your organization has a shelf life. Everyone’s once ground-breaking and earth shattering idea will eventually be ineffective. There is great power in evaluation. True evaluation starts with the leader.
As a leader, most of these ideas that will eventually fizzle out will either be something you implemented or something you are changing. It is inevitable that you will come up against one of these particular ideas or thoughts and realize it’s shelf life or perhaps be putting it on the shelf for the first time. My goal here is to enlist three steps that will help you in both of these processes as I have learned them starting and launching ministries in my young career. This can be true of your organization as well.
1. There are no bad ideas. There is a time and place for every idea. The notion that bad ideas exist is simply inaccurate. Ideas are ideas. And some ideas that may not work during this stage of launch, or during this season could spark the idea that makes significant change in the next season. As a leader, you need to open your ears and create an environment where there are no bad ideas. Every idea is heard and accepted.
2. Ideas are personal things. Remember, especially if you are a young leader getting ready to change the ground work that someone has laid before you, to be sensitive to the person who had the idea. It is never okay to downgrade the idea, even if it is not currently working. There are always leaders that will have their finger on the pulse of a particular ministry/organization and there are always leaders who would have a better idea of the heart beat of your ministry than even you do. Approach change, especially significant change, with humility and courage. It will not be easy, but if you do it effectively as a leader, especially a young leader, you will gain momentum with those who have led before you.
Now you know that ideas are personal, you probably have an idea that you have a personal attachment to… You need to let it go. Every idea has a shelf life; even the great ones. Eventually Babe Ruth has to retire. Jordan cannot play basketball forever. Ideas will eventually have to change or be put on hold. Try not to get too attached.
3. Evaluation is the key to success. If you are a young leader, you need to find some guys older or with more experience and jump into a group meeting where you are evaluating things together. Evaluation is your best friend. This is how you decided to change other people’s ideas, and this is how you get an idea of the expiration date of your ideas. You cannot move forward if your evaluation is not helping you do so.
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Food for thought: What ideas do you never want to have a shelf life? Maybe it is time to remember that all ideas have a shelf life.
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