7 Steps for Putting Ideas Into Action
Here is a seven-step technique for
developing ideas you can actually use to solve business problems.
Brainstorming is only a first step to innovation. What matters more are
execution and implementation.
All
of the above may seem obvious. Yet many companies struggle with it, say the authors of a new article from
MIT Sloan Management Review. While brainstorming sessions "are frequently fun
for participants, the output is too often considered impractical just days
after the exercise."
A 7-Step Idea Generation Gameplan
As
a remedy, the authors--consultants at Innosight, a global strategy and innovation consultancy based in Lexington, Mass.--offer
a seven-step gameplan. Its purpose is to help you not only improve your
brainstorming, but also to help you put your ideas into action.
1. Define the problem and
solution space. The aim here is create boundaries in
the idea-generation process. What customer problem are you trying to solve?
"Constraining the problem and solution space forces idea generators to
delve into an area," note the authors. "The result is typically a
much broader range of ideas that are on target and have real potential to move
forward toward impact."
For example, Innosight
recently attempted to solve a problem involving the distribution of drugs
for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Along with their partners,
they decided to focus on the drug supply chain. This boundary allowed
Innosight to deemphasize other problematic areas (drug development, diagnosis,
geopolitics).
2. Break the problem
down. Use a visual technique, like
diagramming. For Innosight, this meant mapping each part of the MDR-TB drug
supply chain. They then were able to literally see all of the barriers to
effective distribution. All told, they identified 12 barriers.
3. Make the problem
personal. How do you make a business problem
personal? By getting down in the trenches and observing the individuals who are
affected by the problem (and who would also be affected by your proposed
solutions). "The goal is to make it as real as possible to the people who
will be generating ideas," they write.
4. Seek the perspectives of
outsiders. In other words, don't solve the
problem in a vacuum. In this case, Innosight and its partners sought out
public health experts, retail supply chain managers, and technology
experts. "Having supply chain experts in each breakout group allowed
us to make connections very quickly between specific chokepoints in the MDR-TB
system and other supply chains where similar problems have been solved,"
they note.
5. Diverge before you
converge. You want to breed some conflict into
your discussions. Otherwise--as we all know--a meeting can quickly devolve into
a time waster, where precious minutes are lost on the first ideas to be voiced,
rather than what might be the best ideas. The solution? "Start by
asking participants to write down as many ideas as they can individually for
five to 10 minutes. In our experience, the technique has two benefits. First,
it gives introverts--who may be shy about sharing their suggestions in a larger
group setting--a chance to maximize their contribution. Second, having lots of
ideas on paper before the discussion begins prevents the group from rallying
around any specific solution too soon."
6. Create "idea
resumes." An idea resume is one-page document
listing the following attributes: how customers will learn about it or
access it; what resources or processes are needed to make it a reality; and how
the solution will achieve economic sustainability. The benefit of idea resumes
is that (when they're finished) they allow all involved parties to scan and
share ideas, in a way that invites "apples-to-apples"
comparisons and "ensures that ideas are evaluated on their merits rather
than on how well they are pitched."
7. Create a plan to
learn. Your ideas, no matter how pristine
they appear on their "resumes," will all contain assumptions that
need testing. So the seventh step is to design these tests, and to spell out
what you aim to learn from them. "And for businesses hoping to translate
ideas into action," note the authors, "this is where the real work
begins."
The MIT Sloan Management
Review article, which is
called "The Discipline of
Creativity," has more details on all seven steps.
BY Ilan Mochari
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