"Why can't we do this?"
"We should do this!"
"We could save so much time if we implemented this process!"
We've all said things like this, and it's likely we've contributed ideas that could help our teams and organizations save money, make money, be more efficient, be more productive, be more competitive, be more . . . Yes—the list goes on and on.
Generating ideas is usually one of the easier activities. It's far more difficult to vet, approve, prioritize, and turn the best ideas into reality.
Join Rego for a free webinar Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 12:00PM EST to find out how to speed up your ideation process.
Companies and teams of all sizes and shapes get stuck at the top of the idea funnel, unsure how to tackle the plethora of submissions. So they start selecting ideas. . . . First In—First Out (FIFO), the easiest ideas, the ideas management requested, and sometimes the right things get done, and sometimes they don't.
"At the end of the day, if you're doing the wrong projects, you're just wasting time and money," says Patrick Finkler, Senior Consultant at Rego Consulting. "You want to get through the process fast and correctly. Make sure you're not taking a first in first out approach. Instead you should be selecting ideas based on their value."
And Patrick should know. He's helped guide the ideation process for several companies, so they can quickly vet ideas and move forward with the ones that demonstrate high strategic value.
Patrick—with some of our other Rego expert guides—recently discussed the best ways a company or team can improve their ideation process. Their best practices are compiled in this free white paper: "Six Ways to Speed Up Your Ideation Process."
Here are a few highlights from the white paper:
- Avoid the temptation to create one well-vetted estimate for each idea. You want a succinct business case to allow you to keep or kill the idea early in the funnel.
- Focus on strategically aligned ideas. If an idea is not aligned to the strategy, time and resources are being wasted.
- Involve the right people from the beginning. Make sure they understand their role will allow you to vet more ideas, faster.
We've been fortunate to work with great companies, and we've seen how focusing on these six areas can dramatically increase your ability to get more done. Click below to read "Six Ways to Speed Up Your Ideation Process," and get the details about Rego's free webinar.
