Occasionally, ideas occur which appear to possess advantages to the originator other than those which can be measured in dollars and cents. In presenting suggestions of this nature, advantages and disadvantages should be presented in tabulated form, so that a decision can be quickly made.
Ideas of this kind are more subject to rejection than those which show definite money savings. Perhaps the advantages to be gained are so largely theoretical that a busy man is not able to visualize them, or perhaps the cost of making the change seems to outweigh the intangible benefits that are expected. If a suggestion of this type is rejected after proper presentation, the suggester should drop it and cease to worry about it. Fretting about unadopted ideas occupies the mind when it should be engaged in originating new suggestions and often causes dissatisfaction and reduces efficiency.
The rejection of an idea does not mean that it possesses no merit. It merely indicates that the benefits it offered did not appear to the one who made the decision to be sufficiently important to warrant expending the effort necessary to get them. The decision is made in the light of such factors as present trends, the future business outlook, and the amount of money available for making improvements. In 6 months or a year, the situation may have changed, and the idea may be welcomed and adopted upon re-presentation. If the idea is presented the second time by another individual, the one who first presented it has a natural tendency to feel discouraged. He must ward off this feeling by recognizing that conditions change and that fresh angles of presentation often lead to the adoption of old ideas. The best antidote against discouragement is to go out and discover another idea. Solving problems and originating suggestions bring satisfaction to the type of men who are in supervisory positions and help to make the daily job more interesting.
(Source: Chapter 2 - Operation Analysis by Maynard)
Updated 22 August 2017, 23 November 2013
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