6 Ways To Be a Successful Team Member (#4)

4. Share New Ideas
There seems to be a hesitancy when it comes to sharing new ideas. The two most common reasons I have found are:

1. Fear that someone will steal or take credit for your idea
2. None of your other ideas have been accepted

Let's look at #2 first. And for that I can only offer these words and phrases:

• Not now
• Not yet
• Wasn't the right time
• Convince me

On the flip side, at least people know you're always dreaming and thinking about possibilities. Most likely you're ahead of your time. Here's a great example......

Anyone old enough to remember Karen Carpenter? Killer drummer and vocalist. She died in the early 1980's - eating disorder.

Karen was half of the famous group, The Carpenters. Her voice was absolutely amazing and people often wonder how legendary she would have been. In the late 1970's she did a solo album; completely out of the music style that most were accustomed to hearing come out of her mouth. The album was not released. Some said the world was not ready for it.

In 1996; thirteen years after her death that album was released and did okay. Some of the talk at the time of release was that it was too far ahead of it's time for 1980; but now it was right. Others say had they convinced the music industry that 1980 was the right time who knows what influence it would have had on the music industry? I say too bad; maybe a better job of convincing needed to have been done.

Now as for #1; No one will steal your idea. Go back and read that again.

If you've really thought it through only you have the desire, plans, vision and dare I use that word that makes me want to puke - passion - to see that idea through to completion. Only you have what it takes to not only convince others why it is needed but what it will take to see it through. If you don't already know, I am the founder of Recess At Work Day; a free health and wellness idea that I created so that employers can improve morale, engagement, productivity and overall health within the organization. Most people hear Recess and immediately think fun and games - and who has time for that when we need to work on being greedy and bankrupting our country.

{Pause while I come down from the soapbox}

Recently a good friend of mine introduced me to a Corporate Health and Wellness Manager who mentioned to him that she wanted to bring a Recess to her organization! A Recess? Ding, Ding, Ding!! He told her about me and put us in touch.

Could he have done it? Maybe. But he knows who the guy is that thinks organizations need to take a Recess from the way they currently are doing business - for lots of reasons.He knows why organizations like the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society have hired me be they keynote speaker and deliver a breakout on this very topic. He knows the guy is who has built a part of his business around looking at Recess in a new light. He knows who is studying the need for this. And he is comfortable enough that I will deliver. Some fun things are going to happen in 2009 with a large multi-national and several recreation organizations; and I'll be a part of them.

I know you've got ideas. Keep offering them. Keep talking about them; and keep coming up with new ones. Think them through logically and clearly. Keep you motivation and enthusiasm high by asking for advice, partnering and support. Not only does it show your true team spirit; but it keeps you relevant and on the radar with your organization - which is what you are hoping for, right?

Just make them good ideas.

This is an example of not a very good idea. I saw this in "The Pit" at the furniture store. I am assuming the next stop is "The Fire Pit."

On Monday we'll do #5. Have fun this weekend. I'll be doing my best to keep warm.