When you want to create change, you combine imagination and implementation. Too often the time to imagine is shortchanged. The well intentioned “get the job done”  rush past imagination to implementation is a key cause of change initiative failures.

It’s natural to think of an idea and then ask  “how will you do that?” Unfortunately, when the “how” is inserted too soon, the creative energy dissipates before an idea has a chance to be considered. When you allow time for “what we want to do ideas” to fully form, possibilities become best ideas, criteria for a good choice emerge, and you can decide whether to proceed to the “how” phase.   It’s also natural to think “I don’t have time to consider what to do. We need to act and get results now!” While urgency often drives a transition, it also can derail one.

The solution is to know about these natural tendencies that are likely to appear and manage them. Use an efficient process that creates space to bring together ideas from many perspectives, to compile possibilities. Allow the “how” to emerge out of the “what” discussion.

Painting by Day Piercy

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