Hold Your Horses: Why You Shouldn't Explain That New Idea (Yet)

You ever blurt something out and instantly regret it? Maybe you shared an idea before you'd really thought it through, or tried to explain something you didn't quite understand yourself. We've all been there. It's like that feeling when you hit "send" on an email too quickly and realize you forgot to attach the file – except with ideas, there's no "unsend" button. I've made this mistake dozens of times.

Here's the thing about original thinking: it's risky. Even if you're convinced you're onto something brilliant, there's a social cost to coloring outside the lines. People are naturally wired to resist the unfamiliar. So when you introduce a new idea, you're going to have to explain yourself clearly and make a compelling case. But if you try to do that when the idea is still half-baked, when you're still in that fuzzy, formative stage, you'll struggle to defend it. And that amazing idea – that potential game-changer – could be dismissed before it has a chance to take root.

It happened to me once when I was doing something for the United Nations. I had this idea about how to approach the Sustainable Development Goals – those 169 ambitious targets for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and all that good stuff. My idea was simple: we needed a logical order for tackling the goals. It's like building a house – you wouldn't have the plumber start before the foundation is poured, right? But as I went from office to office, trying to explain my thinking to officials at the UN and World Bank, I kept hitting a wall. Nobody seemed to get it. They assumed I was asking them to prioritize the goals, which wasn't my point at all. I wasn't saying that building a roof was more important than installing electrical wiring; I just wanted to figure out the optimal sequence. My explanations were clumsy, my credibility took a hit, and the whole thing was incredibly frustrating.

Then came a turning point. I was invited to speak at the Singapore Embassy in Washington, D.C. The audience was a mix of UN officials, heads of foundations, corporate executives, and professors at universities I couldn’t get into. This was my big chance. But this time, I took a different approach. Instead of diving headfirst into my idea, I turned the audience into a focus group. I asked them: "If we could only start with one SDG target, which would it be?" The response was immediate and overwhelming. Everyone had a different answer: better healthcare, clean water, accessible internet, human trafficking… the room was buzzing with conflicting priorities. By letting them experience this jumble of opinions, they saw for themselves the lack of consensus on where to begin this giant undertaking. I hadn't clearly articulated my solution, but I had successfully demonstrated the need for it.

That experience taught me a valuable lesson: it's better to hold back. Don't rush to explain your new idea until you've fully grasped it and can articulate it. Instead, focus on building a case for change. Establish the "why" before introducing the "what." This creates intrigue, generates buy-in, and makes your audience more receptive to your eventual solution.

(And in case you're wondering, I did eventually develop that optimal order for tackling the SDGs. It took about a year. The starting point? Ensuring all countries have the rule of law – which, admittedly, was a lot less ironic a few years ago.)

So, the next time you're brimming with a groundbreaking idea, resist the urge to spill the beans immediately. Take a breath, refine your thinking, and build the case for change. Your idea – and all the people who will eventually benefit from your idea – will thank you.