Your Big Idea is Not a Strategy

A big idea is not a strategy until you’ve formulated a plan on how to bring that idea to life. Yes, big ideas are fun, and they get your creative juices flowing with hope and possibility. However, you need to master the art of executing so you can make an idea a reality.

Most business owners are not very good at at least one of these two things:

First, entrepreneurs are creative by nature. So, they can drum up ideas all day long – but the art of creating a strategy to bring those ideas to life? That’s similar to a surgeon who tries to operate on themselves – it’s hard to do.

At the same time, entrepreneurs who are great at coming up with big ideas and have the discipline to formulate a strategy often find themselves overwhelmed by the details. Stuck in analysis paralysis, they get worried about taking the first perfect step, and then usually fail to do anything.

In a nutshell, they can’t execute or finish what they started.

Move from abstract idea to concrete strategy:

A great metaphor to keep in mind when building your business and bringing those ideas to life is how one would go about building a house.

Typically, you start with an idea of what you want your home to be like when you live in it (end result). And then, you work with an architect who creates the blueprint (strategy) for how your house should be built.

When you look at those plans, they might not make sense to you. But, if you give them to a general contractor who builds homes (an expert who executes), he knows exactly what trades to hire for each step of the plan. Most importantly, he knows the right sequence to follow so your home gets built, you can move into it and it can stand the test of time.

In business, you require the same type of support team.

You need someone who is great at strategy to help you design a plan that brings your business goals to life. And, you need a team of people who will help you to execute that plan.

There is no shortcut for 99% of people.

There is no shortcut because, much like building a home, it’s impossible for you to be the architect, plumber, electrician, concrete pourer, painter and drywaller. Each job is highly specialized and the rate of pay differs. Thus, in your business, you cannot be all things if you wish to reach your goals in the most time-efficient manner.

Here are five pieces of advice to help you:

Hire help.

Find someone who can help you formulate the right business and marketing strategy for your big idea. And, hire a team to do the work of getting this idea off the ground for you. Great strategies documented and hidden in a drawer don’t help you at all. Be prepared to invest and commit to the end.

Prioritize wisely.

You can do anything, but you cannot do everything at the same time. Most entrepreneurs have too many creative ideas on the go at any given moment. When this happens, none of them make it to the finish line. Pick one thing, finish one thing. Learn to be the kind of business owner who sees an idea through from beginning to completion. You will change as a result of this practice and learn that your ideas are not mere ideas – but rather strategies you can bring to life. Want more self-confidence? Do this.

Plan your time.

You cannot abdicate responsibility for the success of your business. While you can hire help, the more absent you are, the less likely you are to get the end result you want. You must show up and be the creative director of your own strategy.

Communicate well.

Communication is one of the things I rarely hear creative entrepreneurs talk about. They are too stuck in the blame game. Either, they’re blaming someone else for not doing what they expected or blaming themselves for not being clear. Stop blaming, and start learning how to have uncomfortable conversations. Start learning how to communicate exactly what you want.

At the same time, over-communicate praise when work is done well. Yes, you may expect it. And yes, you paid for it. But those are humans doing the work for you and humans crave recognition for their efforts. If you want those same humans to listen when there is a problem, invest time in recognizing their efforts when things go well.

Be prepared for a do-over.

Strategy, unlike an architect’s building plan, is not always rooted in precision. That means that sometimes you won’t know what works and doesn’t work until you try it. Don’t give up the first time something doesn’t work. Be more committed to your big idea and be prepared to test, try and do over until you get the result you want. Often, it is the smallest tweaks that yield the greatest results. Don’t be the person who throws their hands up in the air the first time you can’t get your plane off the ground and walk away.

Imagine if the Wright brothers had done that.

How do you get your big ideas into a concrete strategy that you take action on?