Say no to orphan ideas

Separating idea from the person is a big mistake.

“Nobody wants to implement MY idea. They want to implement THEIR idea, and they will work 10 times harder to make sure their idea is successful than they will for my idea.” — Eric Dickson, President and CEO of UMass Memorial Health

Idea ownership is one of the most telling signals if an initiative has a chance to succeed or will simply wither in the sunlight. This holds especially true for innovation.

First, at initial stages it is difficult to fully communicate idea to others. Idea proposer is the only person who has a complete understanding of the idea, even if it is imperfect.

Second, developing ideas requires grit, hard work, and overcoming organisational challenges. Idea proposer is the person who put part of themselves into the idea, and they want to see it succeed, thus they are willing to put up with more hassle than others.

Lastly, ownership and accountability interweave. Idea proposer is the person with most skin in the game, making them ideal for the initial idea development stages.

Ownership can evolve over time, but not simply with a sign of a pen, but through actual implementation and development of the idea and initiative itself.