Culture and Bad Ideas

Think about writer’s block. Someone says, “I don’t have any good ideas.” The best response? “Okay, but do you have any bad ideas?”*

Because the real issue isn’t good or bad. It’s the fear of doing.

The same is true for culture. A strong culture doesn’t wait for the perfect strategy, the perfect speech, the perfect moment. It acts. It tests. It refines.

A team that only moves when everything is certain will always be a step behind.

A team that’s willing to take a shot, try something, and learn? That team gets better.

Clarity isn’t about certainty. Clarity is about action.

The best cultures know this. They don’t punish bad ideas—they reward effort. Because they understand: bad ideas, given enough reps, turn into good ones.

And good ones? Given enough reps, they turn into great.

So the question isn’t, Do we have the perfect plan? It’s, Are we moving?

Because movement builds momentum.

And momentum builds culture.

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*see "Fear of Bad Ideas" by Seth Godin