Collaboration: A goat for the sheep in your life

I am told that sheep are cautious animals who will not take a leap of faith, entering an unknown environment. But I am also told that a goat will venture out, and so it is recommended that you have one goat for your sheep because they will follow a goat.

So are we talking about fams? No. This is a concept to get things done, particularly when presenting a proposal or engaging an audience. How many ideas have I seen on the editing room floor because the person advocating for them didn’t bother to develop a goat first? Do you present a fresh, never-heard proposal to your executive team on your own, solo? I don’t recommend it. You need to cultivate interest early, in small one-on-one conversations. Work out the bugs first in quiet so that you may engage the group in a real, substantial discussion of the benefits of your proposal and how to enact it, rather than a discussion why to drop your proposal.

As brilliant as you may be:
1. You haven’t thought of everything, and
2. Whereas you might be able to force acceptance of your proposal on your own, you will not be able to tend the entire flock on your own.

Think a moment about congress: a person doesn’t simply write a bill, get it on the docket and have a real debate on the House / Senate floor. There are many goats, many cultivated quiet conversations prior.

Who is your goat?

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