Are you giving new ideas enough fresh air?
In a restaurant kitchen in Des Plaines, Illinois a very concerned cook offered a sample from a batch of freshly cooked french fries. He watched with dismay as the same worried frown crossed his boss’s face.
They had been cooking samples of french fries for many days now but had not been able to please him. The cooks were trying to duplicate an exact taste but were not meeting with success. Something was very wrong and panic was beginning to creep into the picture. The restaurant was to open in just a few days. Without their number one menu item how would they succeed?
A great deal of effort and energy had been expended up to this point. As with all dreams, there is a lot of sweat that is mixed into the success of a new endeavor. The boss had come so close and had surmounted so many obstacles, but now he seemed to have reached an impasse. Even a group from the Potato and Onion Association of the state could not figure out what was going wrong. He had one final hope. A scientist friend had offered to conduct some experiments and see if he could shed some light on the situation.
The experiments proved successful. It was a simple matter of environment. When the McDonald brothers stored their potatoes they did so outside in chicken-wire bins. The dry desert winds of San Bernardino, California had a curing effect on the potatoes giving them a special taste when cut and fried. Ray Kroc was in Illinois, trying to duplicate the same procedure. He had been storing his potatoes in a wet, cool basement. His potatoes had a mushy taste in contrast to the McDonald brothers crisp taste. From then on all potatoes were cured using large electric fans while in storage to simulate the desert air. It was a simple solution to what had at first appeared to be an impossible problem.
The transplanting of an idea is not a simple task. It takes meticulous and diligent devotion to minute detail to ensure its success. If the idea is not kept in a free-flowing current, unrestrained by doubt and skepticism, it will fail to grow. Just like the potatoes needed to be cured in a fresh air environment, so does an idea. If it is stored in a dark and damp basement it will be tasteless. Nurture and develop your ideas with light, energy, and encouragement. Your persistence will pay off!
Recall successful ideas that you have witnessed over the years. Notice how they usually required time and patience before they reached fruition.
These ideas often needed the influence of individuals who brought a new perspective and asked different questions.