Most people have heard the expression that it is easy to come up with ideas, but hard to implement them. It sounds logical. Implementation requires time, resources, coordination and perseverance. Ideas, on the other hand, seem to come and go. But what if we turn the expression around?
What if it is actually the case that implementation is easy, the hard part is creating the ideas?
It may not be as provocative as it sounds. Because when we talk about ideas in the everyday sense, we often mean a loose thought, a whim or a proposal that may lack structure and substance. And of course, such thoughts are easy to come by. But an idea worth implementing, an idea that stands up to the test, that engages people and that actually solves a real problem, requires more than just an idea. It requires work, understanding and methodology. And this is where the real problem lies: we underestimate what the idea phase requires, and overestimate how much we gain from just getting to the implementation.
Two phases, two mindsets
All innovation processes contain at least two distinct phases: the idea phase and the implementation phase. They require different mindsets, different ways of working and different approaches to uncertainty. The idea phase is about thinking freely, asking questions, trying new perspectives, creating unexpected combinations and working with openness rather than consensus. The implementation phase, on the other hand, is about structure, planning, coordination and delivery.
The problem is that many organizations are strong in the latter, but weak in the former. This leads to a desire to quickly get past the idea phase and into the concrete work. You may agree on the first idea that feels “reasonable” or “feasible”, not because it is the best, but because it is the least inconvenient. You want something to work with, not something to understand.
Poor starting values leads to a difficult implementation
A common argument is that there are lots of ideas, but that it is difficult to make them happen. But then we have to ask ourselves: how good are the ideas? How ready are they? Have they been developed using creative methods, analyzed, developed, questioned and shaped into something well thought out?
Trying to implement an ill-conceived idea is like building a house without a blueprint. It becomes cumbersome, slow and often fruitless. A truly well-thought-out and creative idea, on the other hand, tends to take hold quickly. It communicates more easily, engages more people, creates a sense of opportunity and drive. Then implementation no longer feels like a struggle, but like a natural next step.
Idea work requires knowledge, not just inspiration
We often have a naive image of idea work as something that happens spontaneously, perhaps during a shower or a walk. And of course there are such moments, but systematic idea work requires more. Throughout history, people like Edward de Bono (creative lateral thinking) and Genrich Altshuller (TRIZ, systematic innovation work) have shown that creativity is not just a mysterious gift, but something that can be learned, trained and structured.
But we often skip idea work. It feels uncertain, unpredictable and brings to mind something fleeting. Implementation, on the other hand, can be planned. It can be measured, followed up and delivered. It is safe. That is why many organizations have become masters at quickly finding consensus around something half-thought out, in order to “move on”.
Dare to stay in the uncertain
It takes courage to stay in the idea phase. Courage to be in the unclear. Courage to keep thinking when others want to move on. But it is also where the most powerful ideas are born. The idea phase is not a place to be right, it is a place to explore. It is not a phase where you perform, it is a phase where you discover. And it is not a phase where you plan, but one where you provoke new ways of thinking.
Spending time in the idea phase makes the implementation phase much easier. You have better ideas. You have greater anchoring. You have more energy in the system.
Creativity is not a luxury, it is the foundation
To believe that good ideas “exist” or come to us without work is to ignore the entire theory and practice on which creativity is based. It is to miss how we build value in a changing world. Creativity is not a fuzzy sidetrack, it is the very engine behind innovation. And we need to start treating idea work with the same respect that we treat planning, leadership and execution.
So the next time you hear someone say that it is easy to come up with ideas but difficult to execute them, ask what they mean by “idea”. An idea worth implementing is not just a thought. It is the result of conscious and creative work.
And once the right idea is there, it is not so difficult to implement it.
