Great ideas are all around us. Think about the meetings you’ve been in over the last 30 days. How many good ideas were floated around? Most likely several. No doubt some of those ideas are getting traction in your company right now. But many just end up on the conference room floor. Taking an idea and mapping out the action steps, the resources, the milestones, and the timing necessary to make it happen is a lot of work. Face it, you don’t get paid on how many good ideas you have, you get paid to make things happen. To give your idea some life, you’ll need to invest the time and resources necessary that’ll take it to a fully executed idea.
What’s in your way
Well led teams have a repeatable method they use to gets new ideas off the ground and onto the playing field. There’s a process. That process usually begins with knowing what problem this new idea will solve. Once that is established, it’s easier to get buy-in from the others that this is a project that deserves to be worked on. They will then break the idea down into actionable steps or tasks. Those tasks are put onto a timeline so that there’s a goal as to when this will be accomplished. Sounds simple right?
Herding cats and recruiting accomplices
All good ideas and projects alike need a champion, or an owner. This is the person that is responsible for herding the cats needed to complete this assignment. It doesn’t mean that this person gets stuck doing all the work. Rather, this is the individual who is best at crossing boundaries and bringing the right people together to make this happen. They will recruit like-minded accomplices to join in developing the idea. These peers will help flush out the idea. They will poke holes in it until it can stand on its own legs. Skip this step and your idea may get struck down in mid-air.
Clear your calendar
This all sounds good until you realize how much time this will take. So, the idea gets tested again. Is it worth it, what impact will it make, and as my good friend from Wisconsin says, “will the juice be worth the squeeze?” Taking on a new initiative will take time. And face it, you’re already busy. To take on another project something else may get cut or delayed. If you still deem the idea worthwhile, reshuffle your priorities to fit this into your calendar. Without this commitment, this idea won’t get the oxygen needed to make it to the finish line.
How do new ideas get implemented in your company? Is there a repeatable process or are new ideas deemed the flavor of the month? Avoid failure to launch by developing a process that works for your team in making things happen.
Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.
Originally published in Printing Impressions.
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