What to do with a great idea
You or one of your colleagues has just had a brainwave. One of those light globe going on type idea’s you know will have real benefit for your business. But how do you translate this fantastic idea into something practical? How do you make sure the business reaps the benefits from it?
Most ideas in business are never implemented as often people don’t understand the process of converting their ideas into the practical real day life of business.
Small businesses often have the chance to provide some real innovations as it can be easier to get creative ideas agreed to. The larger an organization, the more chance a great idea will just get ‘lost’ in amongst the many meetings and people needed to get it seen and implemented across the entire organization.
How do you get your idea converted into a business reality? How do you convince your managers it’s an idea that just can’t be passed up? If you follow some simple steps of idea management you are well on the way. So what are they?
Step 1 - Give it Time
BEFORE you race off and start promoting your idea of the century, take some time to really think about it. Give your ideas time to mature in your mind and you’ll have a lot better chance of getting them agreed to and implemented.
Consider sharing your idea with one or two trusted colleagues. They’ll also know the work and people in your business and will be able to help you assess the viability of your idea and come up with practical ways of implementing it. They will also often be your greatest supporters when you promote the idea to management.
Step 2 - Find out How Ideas are Assessed or Evaluated
Many businesses have some kind of assessment or evaluation process for new ideas. The decision makers in this process may not necessarily be the traditional managers or where the organization chart indicates the power is. Often decisions are made based on reports from various levels of management. You will need to present your innovative idea to the right people in your business, otherwise it may get lost in the system.
In a smaller business, you may already know this and have built up the relationships with the decision makers. This will certainly make implementing your great idea much easier.
Step 3 - Prepare the Why Argument
All businesses are interested in making more profits, but there may be other benefits to implementing your idea such as raising employee morale or the public image of the company. Prepare a list of potential benefits of implementing your idea.
Step 4 - Prepare the How Argument
This is probably the hardest part of good idea management. You need to realistically consider how the idea can be implemented into the company’s processes or procedures. All great innovations require change and change can be difficult for many people to cope with. They won’t like changing what they do, so your idea will never get implemented if you don’t plan how to implement the changes in a positive way.
The ‘How’ argument is also answering the question of how do we start using this creative solution. Consider practicalities. You may need to discuss this with people who will be actively involved in doing the jobs you idea will impact and to get their suggestions on how they would do the job.
Step 5 - Get Support for Your Idea
Discussing your idea with your colleagues will help to get you support for your idea. Sharing the credit with those who have given you suggestions to make your idea a practical reality will also help management to see that this is as a popular idea. Running your idea past several people before you formally ’sell’ the idea to your manager allows people to feel ‘comfortable’ with the idea and getting it implemented, as they have ‘heard it before’. It allows you to prepare more thoroughly for your ’sell’ to management.
Step 6 - “Sell” Your Idea
Focus on what is important to the decision makers and sell your idea in a positive way that reflects what is most important to the business. For example, if employee morale is flagging and an issue for management explain how implementing your idea will help raise morale.
And most importantly - Don’t Waste a Great Idea
Your creativity is an important part of what you offer your company and sometimes new ideas can provide the business with a tremendous boost. If you really take the time to think through what you believe is a fantastic idea, it can be a really positive experience. Make sure you take the time to consider the why (benefits) and the how (practical implementation) of your idea and you are well on the way to getting your great idea converted into business reality.
