Slow Down the Idea Train ...

And let your other people get on.

I am so lucky to be surrounded by brilliant people.   I find them everywhere: at work, in clubs, and especially in my family. Everyone around me is overflowing with new ideas.

My son Connor is full of great ideas.  Lately the kids have been playing Skylanders on the Wii.   Connor is the leader of the pack.

When Gray or Zarri are playing, Connor sits backs and "directs".
   "Gray,  go left and get those coins."
   "Zarri, shoot that green guy."

 But when they don't act on his ideas quick enough it becomes:
  "Here Gray, let me do it." At the same time, he is wrestling the controllers out his hands.

  This invariably ends with crying, and the end of all their time on the Wii.

  Connor is breaking a major rule of ideas: not getting buy-in.   His idea is probably great, and helpful for everyone, but when he discounts his siblings it doesn't matter.

Turning ideas into reality is hard. Ideas are like children; it takes a village to raise them.

  I see the same thing in business and the workplace.  Sometimes when we have brilliant ideas, we assume everyone will instantly see their merit, and we charge forward.

  Our brilliant ideas often have cascading effects when we implement them.   The best ideas cause  change, and change is scary.  It may change a persons responsibility, remove long standing methods, involve risk, or create a big surge of work.

  The first step to any new idea is to sell the idea to the key people it affects.  If those people can see your vision, then they will start looking for how to overcome obstacles, rather than identifying them.

   The next step is to include those people in planning the execution. Turning an idea to reality takes hard work and detailed thought.  Including your peers in the planning will lighten the load and ensure you haven't missed something.

  Lastly, let the idea grow.   Once you have buy in, the idea will take a life of its own.  It's no longer yours. It belongs to the team, so let them shape it with your vision.  The work and ideas they build are the tracks that lead to your destination.  Don't derail it.

  Think of your ideas like a destination. Not everyone is going to board your train.  But, if you announce the destination and give people time to board, you might be surprised by the steam you can build.