Learn To Say No To The Wrong Ideas

By Jim Calder

Anyone can have ideas. Many are fooled into thinking that just coming up with an idea is the hard work, when in reality it is the easiest part. I just had an idea for a screenplay. It is about a relationship between a man and his cat. It is a dark emotional story. I see something like the man and his girlfriend adopt the cat together, all sorts of events happen with the cat in the scenes. Then something happens between the couple that changes things. Someone cheats, the wife is in a horrible accident, etc. The man is alone and depressed and drinking away his sorrows. He is about to commit suicide when the cat brings some lost toy he forgot about out from no where and drops it at his feet. The man puts the gun down and decides to live.

In the right hands this could be a an Oscar Award winning film if someone really put the time in to develop the story line, characters and plot. With performances as bad as Sandra Bullock’s in The Blind Side, this is not that far off. But it will almost certainly never happen in my hands.

A true aspect of a creative innovative person that you want on your team is someone who is capable of saying no. This person recognizes when a project is not right for their hands.

I see it every day when someone has a great idea for a huge revenue generating project. They put the wrong person in charge. The wrong person is too afraid of loosing their job to say no. They take on the project and almost always will fail.

Getting back to the crazy man and cat tale with the twisted attempted suicide ending; it is not that I am afraid to dedicate the time needed for writing a screenplay. I have actually authored 2 screenplays in the last 10 years that I have never managed to get past the final editing stages. The important point here is that I have the ability in myself to recognize that screenwriting is not what I am best at. I know a successful screenwriter and I know the hours and dedication it takes him to craft a successful story that stands out above the rest. It consumes his life.

The next time your boss approaches you with an idea of a project that you absolutely know that your talents are not suited for, simply say that you feel that someone else on the team would be better at leading a project like this and that you would be more qualified for A,B, and or C type projects. If someone fired me for an honest problem solving answer like that I would not want to work for that company and would want out as fast as possible.

Saying no, will save you valuable time and energy for the right projects when you find them.

Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com