It is very exciting to talk about new ideas and concepts. However, it is vital that you don’t confuse sparkling words with constructive action. Often idea debates are accompanied by an excessive amount of time spent on reviewing, assessing and analysing feasibility. The common denominator within all these sessions is no progress.
When ideas are left in the abstract for too long, they will attract scepticism from people whose support you need to move them forward. Rhetoric becomes an obvious danger, as little progress has been made towards making the idea a reality. Ideas can then become stagnant and you run the risk of your credibility being challenged. These instances will
invariably attract cynical comments from your peer group, colleagues and community.
What’s more, not striking while the iron is hot could result in your concept being picked up by someone else. Alternatively, by the time you eventually deliver the proof of your idea, someone may already have launched something similar, and you’ll find yourself lagging
behind and lose your competitive advantage.
When ideas have been screened as having solid foundations, it is vital that the concepts are brought to life to relevant stakeholders. In the interests of creating “buy in” from those that you need onside, you must, as a matter of urgency make ideas tangible and real – unfortunately words are often simply not enough.
In convincing people of the features and benefits of your new ideas, take time to consider how you can bring them to life. When you make your ideas real, their chances of being embraced are markedly increased.