Five strategies for turning ideas into action

Thomas Edison famously failed over 1000 times while refining the lightbulb.

Kodak invented the digital camera in the 1970s – but failed to capitalise on it.

It’s easy to come up with an idea. Translating that idea into reality is a lot more challenging.

Why we get stuck turning our ideas into action

Even the best ideas can be difficult to get off the ground.

Knowing where to start is often the first hurdle. It can be intimidating thinking about all the steps required to make it happen.

Then there’s the execution itself, which often requires a different type of discipline to innovative thinking.

Bringing an idea to life can also be time and resource intensive – both of which may be in short supply for an individual or company. If no one is championing the idea and driving execution at the leadership level then competing priorities will likely result in the idea fizzling out.

Finally, company culture plays a big part in innovation. If there’s widespread fear of failure, a high level of risk aversion and too much bureaucracy, great ideas can quickly stall.

The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to give your ideas the best chance of successful implementation.

1. Define success

Ensure the idea is clearly articulated and well understood by those who need to support execution. Be clear and specific about what success looks like.

2. Test and learn

Validate the idea using small increments rather than going ‘all in’ from the start. Learning as you go and adapting the idea through input from the real world is invaluable to effective execution.

3. Think like a scientist

Take a leaf out of Thomas Edison’s book and use the scientific method to bring rigour to the ‘test and learn’ execution process. Come up with a clear hypothesis and success measures then run a series of tests. Gather input from users or customers to validate if the hypothesis holds true.

4. Loosen your grip

Have the discipline to cut your losses early if things are not stacking up, or be prepared to adapt your idea as you learn more.

5. Get the culture right

If your organisation is not set up to encourage innovation, new ideas are doomed from the start.

Leaders can create the right environment for turning ideas into action by:

Adjusting risk appetite to allow for ideas to fail
Encouraging collaboration (innovation is rarely an individual pursuit these days)
Ensuring sponsorship at the right level
Allowing time for persistence, and space for creativity
Encouraging strong execution mindsets.

We partner with organisations to build culture and processes that support innovation and effective execution. To find out more, contact us:

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