Inspiration is for amateurs.

We've all worked with atleast one person who was paralyzed by indecision; people for whom the most difficult part of a project is getting started. The following is a great quote by Chuck Close that offers some common sense, roll up your sleeves and get the job done type of insight...

"Inspiration is for amateurs... If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you're not going to make an awful lot of work."

In marketing, hi-tech in particular, it is very common to run into a host of tasks for which we need additional inputs or information before we can move forward. This situation does not constitute a barrier; instead consider it an opportunity. It's our chance to dig in and learn much more than just the fluffy peripheral laid out in the business case doc. Equally exciting, it's an open door through which we can build lasting relationships and mutual respect among our cross departmental peers. How?... by asking questions. So let's please get off our behinds and take that stairwell to chat with R&D and manufacturing. As marketers we know very well that one-on-one beats the pants off of email any day of the week - I promise no one is going to bite your head off for asking for a minute of their time and expertise. It's my experience the vast majority of stakeholders welcome our invitation for them to make a meaningful contribution. We only have to ask.

Citations:

I discovered Mr. Close's quote while watching his interview on a promotional trailer for 'the Wisdom project'. Photographer and director Andrew Zuckerman has compiled 100's of interviews with notable luminaries for the production. The Wisdom book website describes the work as "Inspired by the idea that one of the greatest gifts one generation can pass to another is the wisdom it has gained from experience... the Wisdom project seeks to create a record of a multicultural group of people who have all made their mark on the world."

Thank you to Karo Branding and Communication Design for running the post on 'the Wisdom project' that led me to finding the trailer.