In this book “Start,” Jon Acuff said that in every relationship there is “an idea person” and a “logistics person.”  This is certainly true with my wife and I.  I have a history of coming up with all kinds of ideas.  Some are kooky and some are good.  Amy, having heard one of these ideas, starts to think about how that might work.  She is the logistics person.

The challenge these two personalities run into is, when the logistics person starts to question how the idea might work, the idea person thinks the logistics person is shooting them down.  When the logistics person immediately questions how something might work, they think they are helping.  But the idea person hears resistance.  “She never supports my ideas,” becomes the thought of the idea person.

Acuff suggested a solution that has helped Amy and I.  When I bring up an idea I say, “This is just an idea.  I am not going to mortgage our house on it.  Hear me out.”  Then I tell her my idea, uninterupted.  Her job is to simply listen and say nothing…for 24 hours.  If I am still talking about this idea in 24 hours, Amy is welcome to jump in with her logistical questions and thoughts.  You see, often in 24 hours, I have already decided that this is a bad idea…and I have moved on.  Or, I have at least thought of logistics a bit…so I am ready for a dialogue.

One of the most important questions any logistics person asks is “Who will run it?”

Ideas, on their own, are nearly worthless. They are a dime a dozen.  Now don’t get me wrong.  Ideas are fun and sexy and exciting.  But without someone to execute them, they have no value.  Someone has to execute.  There needs to be someone who is willing to do the work.

You see this clearly once you have executed an idea.  When you have even a modest track record for doing the work, people will come to you to get help.  They want you to join their committee or their team.  Or they say “I have an idea for you.”  They think they are giving you a gift.

But an idea is not a gift…it’s an obligation.

So while the logistics person is not always fun for the idea person in the group, they are important.  And no question is more important than “Who will run it?”

Kirby Hasseman is the CEO of Hasseman Marketing, a full service marketing agency located in Ohio.  Learn more about Hasseman Marketing here.  And if you are interested in have him speak at your next event, you can learn more here.