Quite often, when new ideas or concepts for expenditures are proposed, they are presented as complex, lumbering giants. Yet, those very same complex ideas sprang from a single seed of thought: a moment when the innovator had a singular EPIPHANY.
Every innovation has its origination in a central concept of extreme brilliance that results from a moment of deep insight into a problem or a solution. What follows is a mental and emotional roller coaster ride during which the innovator, so infatuated with his or her insight and idea, that features are piled onto the original core of the idea. Outcome? Innovators strive to present a complete idea, a complete innovation, to demonstrate that they have covered all the bases and anticipated every obstacle. The result is a lumbering, complex, fat giant of an idea that often requires budgets far greater than those which can be made available.
You can help. As a leader, you can force the innovator to think through the concept to its moment of origination. What was it that caused the innovator that epiphany, that “Aha!” moment. Strip all the complexity and features away so you, the leader, can clearly see the seed and core of the innovation. Then rebuild it with only the most essential features for the most opportune payback to the corporation. Or, say “No”, in a nice way, of course, and move on.
Innovations always result from an epiphany, a moment of great insight and brilliance. Discover the moment of the epiphany.
