I’m sure it’s happened to you too.

You’re in an important meeting or workshop and you have a great idea that you believe you really have to share.

At least it seems like a good idea until you say it out loud.

The expressions on everyone else’s faces tells you that it wasn’t such a good idea after all.

You’ve just swung and missed!

It’s happened to me on more occasions that I can count, but I hope that it’s also been balanced out by the amount of times when I’ve actually had a good idea that’s worked.

I’ve never played baseball, but if I did, I’d hate to ever be struck out without having a swing.

It may be embarrassing when you miss, but it’s worth it when you connect.

Joe DiMaggio has the best ever home run to strikeout ratio in Major League Baseball.  For every home run he hit, he struck out 1.02 times.

That’s the best ever!

Only 3 others who have hit over 200 home runs have a ratio of better than one home for every 2 strike outs.

Using these numbers, if you were to have one good idea for every dodgy one, then you’re doing very well.

Ice hockey great Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Not every idea that you have will be a good one.  But each time you speak up you get closer to making a difference and if you never speak up, you’ll never do anything

Being embarrassed and looking like an idiot every now and then isn’t fun for anyone.

But when faced with a choice between standing out and potentially making a difference or the mediocrity of anonymity, remember that there’s only one that can possibly lead to success.

We need your great ideas and will forgive you your silly ones to get there.

Take a swing, take a risk, take your chance.

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