Have a Great Idea? Advice for Overcoming Implementation Challenges

By: Eric Holdeman on August 22, 2011

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Photo courtesy of Ramunas Geciauskas/Flicker CC

If you’re OK with the status quo, don’t like change or are just basically a plodder, this advice is not for you. If on the other hand, you seek to make the world better and are at times frustrated by “the system” that’s more supportive of keeping things the way they are, you should read on.

Innovation does not come naturally to many organizations. Challenges can be cultural, as to the type of industry or government, or hinge on how people, especially leaders in the organization, view their world and their attempt to control what happens. Another challenge is uncertainty — not knowing the final destination for an idea can be unnerving to many people.

This is why the typical approach for organizations contemplating a new idea is to just say no. This reaction stems from basic human nature: That which you don’t understand or fear, you try to kill.

The implementation and use of social media is one of those new ideas facing obstacles. Most organizations have an approval process for using social media. In reality, it should be called the “disapproval process,” or the “how do I control what you are trying to do process.” What we are seeing with social media and policy is the same as what we saw with the inception of the Internet. At first, there were only the chosen few who could use it. Now it’s ubiquitous and social media is quickly following in its footsteps.

The following concepts can help organizations face implementation challenges with any new idea.

Don’t ask, don’t tell. The smaller your organization, the likelier you might be able to use this tactic. If you ask for permission, the prognosis for your being able to proceed in a timely manner is dramatically reduced. The bottom line? Go maverick. The old saying, “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission” is directly applicable.

One crusher of new ideas is the multiple levels of approval that you go through to move toward implementation. Sometimes there is either one individual or committee, that toad in the road, stopping your idea from advancing. Instead of trying to argue your way through the process, borrow a military maneuver called “isolate and bypass.” Basically it means to go around them. Find a champion that’s further up the approval process.

If you can’t do it yourself within your organization, find a surrogate. This can be a partner organization(s) that’s more innovative and doesn’t have the same controls as yours, and is willing to experiment and include you in the planning process and implementation. This allows you to participate and learn along with others about the uses of social media. In actuality, social media is an ideal concept to implement on a regional basis since the medium does not respect the artificial jurisdictional and organizational boundaries that we have erected.

Another key is to personally dive into social media. Start using social media on your own time. Experiment with all the tools. Have a blog, be on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Understand the medium by personally using it extensively.

Remember that people who are successful are those who don’t accept no for an answer and adapt by finding a way to see their ideas to fruition. Believe in yourself. Success comes to those who don’t quit. Never give up, never surrender!

Eric Holdeman is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management. His blog is located at www.disaster-zone.com.

You may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to
http://www.emergencymgmt.com/training/Great-Idea-Overcome-Implementation-Challenges.html

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