Sometimes even the most benign of comments can kill a good idea from an employee. But you'd be surprised at the negative comments that come from managers on ideas. In their years of ideation research, the team at CRT/tanaka has recorded a bevy of “killer phrases” uttered in brainstorming sessions by employee peers and supervisors—knee-jerk responses that squelch new ideas. “One of the challenges is to create a mind-set that everything is possible,” says CRT’s Brian Ellis. “Don’t allow limitations to get into play.” Unfortunately, it’s a common occurrence. Here are a few of the more common killer phrases, by category:
Overgeneralization:
- “It’ll never work.”
- “It’ll never win approval.”
- “People don’t want change.”
Put-Downs
- “That’s irrelevant.”
- “I’m the one who gets paid to think.”
- “You’ve got to be kidding, right?” (laughter)
Selective Editing
- “It’s not in the budget.”
- “We haven’t got the manpower.”
- “Obviously you misread my request.”
- “It’s not in your job description.”
- "Great idea, but not for us.”
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