Why Timing and Execution are Crucial for Your Next Big Idea
By Michael Tessler, Managing Partner
Big ideas are exciting. They drive innovation, revolutionize products, and build startups. Yet, how often has your team debated an idea at length merely trying to decide if it was good or bad? So much time is devoted to trying to fit ideas into the two absolute categories of “good” or “bad.”
I like to create a broader aperture for this conversation. Instead of two simple columns, I like to describe ideas in the following four categories:
- It is a bad idea;
- It is a good idea, but the timing is terrible;
- It is a good idea, but was poorly executed on; or
- It is a good idea.
My preferred classification system adds more texture to the discussion by including two critical variables — execution and timing. Why is this important for your business? Let’s explore.
Strike When the Time is Right
Sometimes you discover a truly great idea, but the timing is not right. It could be for several reasons, such as other tasks take priority, a product isn’t quite ready to add a feature, or you haven’t mastered a particular use case. Great leaders recognize timing and know how to put an idea aside for when the time is right.
It’s just not internal factors, either. Plans can fail when a market isn’t ready for a particular product, feature, or solution. Often, team members are afraid to advocate for an idea that failed in the past. However, with timing on your side and the data on why you failed the first time, leaders learn, build, and execute to reap success.
Which brings me to my next point: execution.
Execution is Everything
Aside from timing, another main reason ideas fail is poor execution. Teams often disguise poor implementation as a bad idea. To grow, organizations need to be honest with themselves and realize when the design was sound, but the execution was poor. That way, they can recognize why they failed and understand what it takes to be successful in the future.
Poor execution can be mitigated by having the proper procedures in place. For instance, when building a sales model, it’s essential to implement the appropriate steps to ensure success for your sales team. Without guidelines in place, team members might mistake poor execution for a bad offering.
So, next time someone on your team says, “oh, we tried that, and it didn’t work,” take the opportunity to ask why it failed. Was it a bad idea? Was the timing wrong? Or, did you execute poorly? You’ll be surprised by what you learn.
What ideas excite you the most?
