The Art Of The Steal

You’ll probably be done reading this in a minute or so and on to using all of those ideas you’ve been stealing from this annual Steal This Idea edition of Today’s Garden Center magazine.

Stealing ideas is nothing new to you. You’ve been doing it for years, and you’re still stealing. Look where that’s gotten you, as compared to where you want to be in the future. Are your goals to be better, more profitable and bigger? I hope so.

Is there is a better way to steal than the way you’ve been doing it? Maybe so.

To have an idea stolen is a high compliment to the owners of those ideas. To have your baby borrowed and botched is painful, however. It’s sad to see someone take a perfectly good idea and mess it up then put it in the “we tried that and it didn’t work” file. The owners of the ideas you’re about to steal are hoping that you’ll do good by them and create not just another version, but a new and improved version they can steal back. Then maybe Today’s Garden Center could print a New & Improved Idea edition next year.

Stealing Should Be Hard Work

Professional thieves respect their craft, I’m told. The stakes are too high for them to skip the homework. They’re penalized with a jail sentence for their mistakes. If movies like Ocean's Eleven are to be trusted, the really good thieves choose their accomplices carefully and case out their targets. They respect and compliment each other for their craftsmanship. They rehearse, practice and test ideas.

To survive times like these, you should learn a thing or two from master thieves. As they do, keep up on what’s new in your business. Steal ideas as if your professional life depends on it.

Don’t Waste Time On Wimpy Ideas

Petty theft is OK for petty thieves, but the penalty for losing can be just as big as when going for the big haul. Given the choice of all you can do with your time, which ideas are big enough to have an impact and are worth the risk? Put it this way: If you could not fail, what would you do?

Here are three categories to steal within. Try to limit yourself to one stolen idea implemented in each area this year:

1. Which one will have the greatest financial impact?

2. Is there one that would have the greatest marketing impact?

3. What idea would have the greatest impact on your associates?

Choose Your Accomplices Carefully

Nothing in this world was ever accomplished through the effort of one person working alone. You can do something bigger and better if you have help. That’s why many thieves are caught in the act. They don’t want to share the take, so they act alone, which slows them down so much that they get caught.

Expertise is often underrated when it comes to stealing ideas well. Thieves who are especially wise will pick the right people so they can accomplish more together. George Clooney’s character in Ocean's Eleven hand-selected his accomplices carefully to help him. Others choose their team from among the sea of mediocrity and get what they pay for in jail time.

Steal Experience As Well As Ideas

Nab the lessons learned from mistakes. Remember, the ideas and tips in the articles in this magazine are about the success of the idea and may not cover the trials and tribulations that went into making them successful. There were failures along the way to the success. You know this from implementing your own ideas.

What can you learn from those who tried these ideas first? You will only know if you ask them yourself. Heed their advice. Do not go blindly where man has gone before.

In other words, open your eyes and mouth and find out the wrong paths someone else has gone down. And just don’t go there.

Case The Idea

Here’s my final advice on the topic: Ask the following questions before you steal an idea. You’ll find that your chances of bagging the haul will be that much better.

1. Who did you steal this idea from and how did they do it?

2. If you were to do this over, what would you do differently?

3. What other questions should I be asking about this idea?

4. Who else knows more about this?

5. What other ideas should I steal?

OK – you’ve asked and answered the questions. You’re ready. Steal away!