The meeting attendees then hold up the card that best expresses their feelings about the idea. “If everybody says ‘Wow,’ you’re going to keep that idea,” Mr. Nottingham said. “That’s easy, but it doesn’t happen a lot. So another idea is presented, and everybody may hold up the cards that say, ‘Who cares?’ So you take that product and just shove it off the table. It’s not going to work.” According to Mr. Nottingham, the worst card is often “Nice.” Someone can produce a nice product, but it’s not going to move the needle, he says. “Too often, too many nice products get produced.” Everyone should hold up their card at the same time, so there are no influencers in the room. If there’s one person in the meeting and he answers one way, everyone is going to follow suit, Mr. Nottingham says.
The meeting attendees then hold up the card that best expresses their feelings about the idea. “If everybody says ‘Wow,’ you’re going to keep that idea,” Mr. Nottingham said. “That’s easy, but it doesn’t happen a lot. So another idea is presented, and everybody may hold up the cards that say, ‘Who cares?’ So you take that product and just shove it off the table. It’s not going to work.” According to Mr. Nottingham, the worst card is often “Nice.” Someone can produce a nice product, but it’s not going to move the needle, he says. “Too often, too many nice products get produced.” Everyone should hold up their card at the same time, so there are no influencers in the room. If there’s one person in the meeting and he answers one way, everyone is going to follow suit, Mr. Nottingham says.