You developed a Good Idea.

They said, “Let’s make it stronger. You need to get feedback. Build consensus.”

It sounded like a good idea at the time.
But you learned. Committees don’t work like that.

The Committee is guaranteed to lead you down the path to mediocrity. Your Good Idea will become a safe idea. Nothing good left standing. Just safe, expected, and ineffective. If enough people give feedback, it becomes a bad idea. Committee members feel obligated to make a change. Point out a problem. Suggest how to improve it. Even a little. Just one small change. They want to be involved. Frankly, they just want to be heard. Be a part of the Good Idea. They want their thumbprint on it. People like to sound smart and like to play it safe. They are unaware they are battering it to pieces. One little tweak at a time.

You may have been forced into The Committee situation. Most people don’t go to that table voluntarily. It’s often required. Your hands are tied. Their hands are tied. Tied to that table where The Committee gathers for a fuzzy feedback frenzy. If possible. Run!

Several things contribute to the problem of The Committee. People react to things quite differently from how they believe they will. We cannot logically understand how the heart will respond. Emotion is more powerful than most people will admit.

“The mind will always create logic to justify what the heart has already decided.”

—Roy H. Williams

Be careful who you ask to review your Good Idea. You may be creating a committee even though it’s your best friend, a close colleague, or even your mom. They want the best for you. They want to polish the Good Idea, but instead, it becomes diluted.

It takes courage to go forward with a Good Idea because it is innovative. New. Challenging. Surprising. A Committee is not designed to take a chance. They are designed to play it safe.

Why Committees are dangerous

Conflicting opinions lead to compromise.
It is impossible to protect the original vision in groupthink.
Nothing can please everyone at once.
You can not get a consensus unless the Idea is diluted, safe, and not surprising.
If everyone likes it, it is a sure bet it’s no longer a Good Idea.

Examples of The Committee at work

General Motors designed the Pontiac Aztek using multiple committees, trying to satisfy everyone. It became infamous for its awkward design that appealed to no one.

Spider-Man 3 was weakened when the core story was diluted by the addition of too many villains and plot lines requested by the studio committee.

The Warner Bros. film, “Justice League”, was a disappointment because the studio committee reshaped the story.

Microsoft created “Windows Vista.” It was bloated, slow, and unpopular because of the many compromises forced into the design.

“Microsoft Bob” was a cartoon interface designed by Microsoft to make it appeal to everyone. It was a failure and was discontinued.

Committees do have a purpose

Committees are good for building consensus.
They make sure everything is safe and agreeable.
The Committee becomes responsible for the decision, so no single person receives the blame.

Escape The Committee trap

You want to create quality marketing. You have a really, really great Good Idea. Decide in the very beginning to only work with one person. The boss: the final authority who says yes or no. Include the boss from the beginning. The boss needs to understand your reasoning and believe in you. They will have feedback, sure, but it will be one-on-one while building an understanding to make the Good Idea work. You must warn them that this Good Idea will be innovative, and it will make them a little nervous. They need to be prepared. You must explain all of it thoroughly.

They need to understand that all very Good Ideas will get emotional responses. Some will love it and always, always, always, some will hate it. In fact, it’s only working if there is someone (hopefully several) who is so emotionally charged that they complain. That is a good sign. The boss needs to understand that receiving negative responses is a good sign. Before it happens.

The Committee is different from a Team of Creatives

An effective creative team must have a team leader who is in charge of the Good Idea. They give direction to the creatives. The leader listens to feedback, but they are NOT trying to gain consensus. The leader shares their vision with the team to make sure the Good Idea stays on target.

Want to develop a Good Idea?

If you want to develop a Good Idea, or you’re already working on one, Paul and I love asking questions and building inspiration. We’ll even meet you for free, without destroying excellence.

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