Beware the GIF (Good Idea Fairy)!!!

Oh, it's almost that time of year - Halloween. The favorite time of year for some folks who love to dress in costumes and have some fun pretending to be their favorite superhero, inanimate object, or alter ego for a while and gorge on candy without all the normal guilt.

However, there is one character or creature worse than any vampire, zombie, werewolf or monster that likely exists in most teams or offices and/or companies year round without the costume - the dreaded Good Idea Fairy (GIF).

The GIF in your world may never appear in a pink leotard with a wand to sprinkle their dangerous "good idea fairy dust" on unsuspecting victims. They may show up in plain ole khakis, a button down or with a smile in a nice skirt and sensible shoes. They can be man or woman, CEO or entry level employee, they can literally be anywhere and anyone. There are part-time GIFs that only emerge when threatened, particularly motivated or directly engaged. Then there are the full-time, super-charged GIFs that seem to have an endless supply of fairy dust and an unending stream of “good ideas”.

In my experience, the correlation between the professional GIFs and those that can or will actually get the real hard work of executing an idea done is exceedingly low. The rare GIF that can get it done is like an albino in most species – a statistical rarity and something to be admired and protected.

So what can you do to protect yourself from the power of the GIF?

Turn on and tune your “GIFDAR”. Just like traditional radar can help you detect or see things that you can’t see with the naked eye, so can an effective GIFDAR. The GIFDAR is a simple tool that anyone can develop. It involves two primary human abilities, watching and listening. The GIFDAR works best when scanning broadly, but focusing narrowly when it detects a potential GIF in your midst. Some GIFDAR warning signals may be:

* Hearing a phrase like: “we should do _______ (fill in the blank). The key word here is we. Generally the GIF cleverly uses this to disguise their true intent to either create more work for others or to soften the inevitable passing of the buck on something that really needs to get done.

* A blank stare when you ask the question, “Who owns it?” These 3 simple words can send a shock to the system of the average GIF as they actually have to help identify the right person who can and will take ownership of the idea to move it forward or get something done beyond the verbal gymnastics so common among GIFs.

* Lots of smoke, but never a fire. I know the old adage says that “where there is smoke, there is fire”. However, GIFs have evolved as a species to somehow produce smoke on a regular basis without ever having a fire. Sort of like all those e-cigarettes that have seemed to proliferate lately. People puffing on a pen and then blowing vapor. A good mental picture of a GIF in action. Usually puffing on something (or puffed up already) and then emitting a steady stream of vapor that looks like smoke. Bottom line, the vapor quickly disappears and then there is nothing left but air. GIFs love the vapor, building and tending a fire – not so much.

Ok, so your GIFDAR is going off full tilt with more warning signs than the book of Revelation, what do you do? Don’t panic. By nature, GIFs are scared off and defended easily with a few simple thoughts and tactics:

* The truth shall set you free (and scare the beeswax out of a GIF in action). Whether engaged with a GIF face-to-face or after being sprinkled with good idea dust on a walk by or even via email delivery, just remember that the power of the GIF is only activated if you let it be. So, when your GIFDAR is blaring simply look the GIF in the eye and say: “Thanks for sharing that idea. I look forward to hearing your plan on how you are going to own it and get it executed.” That simple phrase alone can send them backtracking at the very least or make them disappear altogether at best.

* It is all about the trade-offs. So maybe your boss is the GIF in your world and it is easier said than done to ask them to share their execution plan with you if they are dumping their fairy dust on you on a regular basis. The tactic there is to reframe the conversation and talk about the priorities and trade-offs. Perhaps something like this: “Thanks for sharing that idea. If that is something that you would like to me to explore further and to create a plan for and then execute, which of the other current priorities/projects that I am working on would you like me to replace with this one?” Many, if not most, people have too many projects, too many priorities, too many opportunities to invest time and talents in to get it all done. So, directing the GIF to a trade-off decision can help counteract the fairy dust and limit the impact of the GIF.

Good ideas are great and necessary to innovate and evolve. However, leaders that spend their time only spreading good idea fairy dust don’t add much value and ultimately can create confusion, chaos and grind things to a halt in getting real work done.

If you are think you may be the GIF in your world, have the courage to ask those around you. If it ends up being you, please consider turning in your wand and dust bag for good. Hope you have a Happy Halloween and remember – beware the GIF!

BjS

Bryan Stewart is passionate about his faith, his family and living a life focused on servant leadership, laughter and love. He is a former Marine infantry officer that has made his career home in healthcare leadership for nearly 20 years. Follow him on Twitter at @bryanstewart and Instagram at @bryanjstewart.