In elementary school, we all learned the 5 Ws: who, what, where, when, and why. This set of questions helps us gather information and gain a deeper understanding of a situation or problem.
We’ve been conditioned to think this way since our formative years, so it’s no surprise that as adults, we often forget the sixth question we must ask: “how?”
Asking “how” is crucial because, without understanding the key components of implementation, and the feasibility, a solution is just an idea with some specifications outlining what the final product needs to look like.
In business, focusing too much on the 5 Ws instead of the singular H can be detrimental, leaving organizations stagnant. There are many quotes that emphasize the importance of implementation, such as Chris Sacca’s (the venture capitalist behind companies like Twitter Uber, and Instagram) quote, “Ideas are cheap. Execution is everything.” Similarly, Guy Kawasaki, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and one of Apple’s first employees, said, “Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard.”
Transitioning from ideation to implementation is a common challenge. But how can we help our teams overcome this hurdle and produce the next generation of innovative solutions?
We can start here:
1. Establish Ideation Guardrails by Generating a Problem Statement
Don’t get me wrong, ideation is an important exercise that helps us challenge assumptions and think outside the box. However, to successfully transition to implementation, it’s crucial to establish a framework for the ideation process by first generating a clear problem statement.
This problem statement acts as a set of guardrails, ensuring that ideas are aligned with feasible solutions, avoiding wasted time on proposals with little chance of implementation. To do this, clearly outline the answers to the 5 Ws: consider the specific problem you’re trying to solve, the target audience for the solution, and why the problem exists. Call out any assumptions and list the “must-haves” vs. “nice-to-haves.”
By investing the time to generate a proper problem statement, you are already shifting the focus from “any idea under the sun” to an idea that has real potential to be the final solution.
2. Create a Culture of Accountability
To go from ideation to implementation, you need a culture of accountability. To establish this culture, it’s important for everyone involved in ideation to play a role in the actual execution of a solution.
Too often, people want to propose ideas, but have no intention of being involved in the execution. The problem is that when someone is not accountable for implementation, they typically focus only on the solution, and not on what it will take to achieve it.
From the moment ideation begins, your team should consider all the blockers and hurdles that could arise during implementation. No matter how innovative a solution seems, if the team hasn’t identified all potential implementation challenges, execution will fall short.
To achieve success, everyone involved in ideation must be equally accountable for the final implementation and execution.
3. Outline Next Steps
Have you ever found yourself in a meeting where the conversation flows freely, ideas bounce around, and before you know it, an hour has passed without any concrete outcomes? I know I have.
The final step needed to go from ideation to implementation is to outline clear and tangible next steps for execution. Clear next steps act as a bridge to transform ideas into actionable plans. In this process, you take the creative energy of an ideation session and turn it into a focused pathway for execution, reducing the chance that ideas fade into memory and leave the organization stagnant.
Your goal when documenting next steps is to ensure participants leave with a clear sense of direction, ownership over tasks, and an understanding of the timeline. Setting up regular updates will not only reinforce a culture of accountability but also build trust within the team, because everyone now plays a role in ensuring successful implementation.
Transitioning from ideation to implementation is a common challenge many teams face, but without making this transition, projects and organizations can become stagnant. By establishing a clear problem statement, fostering a culture of accountability, and outlining actionable next steps, teams can effectively navigate this transition and ensure successful execution.
