When your team members have an idea for a new product or service or a better way of carrying out a work process, it's relatively easy for them to generate enthusiasm for their idea early in the effort. After all, the idea is new! And newness is always exciting.

But as their idea moves from the planning stage into the implementation stage, all that enthusiasm can start to wear off. For many people (including stakeholders supporting your team members' ideas), implementation isn't nearly as interesting as the creation of fresh ideas.  And, during implementation, problems inevitably start to crop up — such as delays and resource shortages. Problems can take much of the fun out of turning a great idea into an actual innovation, and supporters may lose interest or drift away.

To prevent this from happening, your team members need to anticipate how enthusiasm for their idea could start drying up during implementation. Then they must craft strategies for maintaining or reviving enthusiasm.

Use these resources to lead a discussion with your team about how to keep the excitement alive when their innovative idea moves through the implementation phase.
Note: Consider inviting all your team members to the discussion — not just those who are working on innovative ideas. Those who are working on new ideas can gather suggestions from others on how to maintain momentum during implementation. Those who aren't currently working on ideas can learn by helping others develop their strategies.

Working through the discussion guide can take up to 45 minutes. If you prefer a shorter 15- or 30-minute session, you may want to focus only on those concepts and activities most relevant to your situation.