2nd
Get Paranoid
I’m perusing the latest 24 this evening, and everyone on it is paranoid. That’s because everyone on it is corrupted or compromised or otherwise shady. They all have agendas, hidden agendas and double agendas. They backstab, double-cross, and otherwise make for entertaining television.
What’s the point? Consider those around you. Think about outside motives for a few. I’m not saying be paranoid, per se, but be informed of those working around and with you. Why? Because they have motives too. It’s true that everyone is out for themselves. People support families, mortgages, debts and other responsibilities, so they will foremost do what’s in their best interests.
Once you have a realization and acceptance of this, you can move on to how to utilize it. Because you’re out for you, too. It’s fairly simple to find who will collaborate with you, and help your efforts, and who will collaborate with you and take your ideas for their own credit.
First, come up with a simple but good idea. A quick solution to a current problem. Don’t make it something monumental as you’ll be potentially sacrificing it.
Then, bring in someone you either want to confirm as an honest collaborator or you suspect is an idea snatcher. Tell them your idea, and say you want to work with them to run it by your bosses.
When you sit down with your bosses to talk about it, let the other person go over it. See how they phrase it, if they specifically mention the idea that was yours, and if they credit you there for it. Or, see if the idea somehow makes it to your bosses before you can bring it up together.
The trustworthy person will not let it leak, and will refer credit to you when pressed to describe the idea. These are the people you want to work with. The others, not so much.
It’s not so bad to be a little paranoid in this way. It’s just reality.
