If you’ve ever held an ideation workshop, you know how fun it can be when people come up with fantastic ideas and everyone gets excited. And then what comes next?
… Crickets.
It’s almost like it’s one of the great mysteries in life (or work) – how to implement ideas from an ideation workshop? We mean, how to actually see an idea through from concept all the way through to it being launched as a great product or service.
We’ll take a look at why some great ideas never reach it to the finishing line and, more importantly, what you can do to make sure more of them actually do. This way, you’ll know how to implement ideas from an ideation workshop, turn them into great proposals, and end up with a viable concept for a successful product.
Why some ideas don’t come to fruition
Ideation is an exciting process. The possibilities are endless. The sky is the limit. The sticking point is that people often deal with ideal scenarios at this point. Ideation identifies the consumer’s needs and generates ways to meet them, but the process takes place in a vacuum.
As a result, there is often a disconnect between what should be and what is. When the team breaks the huddle and each member goes their separate ways, that’s when reality sets in. People start realising that there might be legal issues that were not considered or design implications that might make mass production impossible or at least impractical.
What happens to the list of great ideas from the workshop? Nothing. It stays exactly what it is – a list of great ideas.
So, how to implement ideas from an ideation workshop? Let’s look at steps to take to keep those ideas moving along the creation pipeline.
#4: Set a date to Reconnect
Set a date to reconnect - This will give you the chance to discuss how the implementation of the plan is going and help you meet deadlines. Instead of a pseudo date to reconnect, lock in a date and time where everyone can make it right away. We have all been through that impossible mission of booking a meeting that fits in everyone's diary, so let's set a date and go for it. Dragging it out may cause the team to lose momentum, and we want to avoid it at all cost.
Setting a date to reconnect also forces the team to prepare well for the implementation discussion rather than sit on it. This includes talking to stakeholders like suppliers and management, which may require some lead time and planning ahead. Setting a realistic date to reconnect rather than a spontaneous meeting can help your next session be more productive!
You can also check out other tips for your implementational challenges.