This Is to Go with the 4 Steps on the Home Page

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DRAFT – MAY 29

This is to go with the 4 steps on the home page.

Your idea!

Step ONE –Solidify Your Idea

This is your opportunity to dream and to create a picture of your idea making a difference to someone, your community, even the world!

Ask yourself: what’s the opportunity or issue? Who needs your solution? Why me? What can I do? Is this my idea to do?

Get your idea out of your head and onto paper or a screen where you can look at it objectively. Or talk it through with a friend or colleague. Look at your idea from all angles. What feels right? What does your past experience tell you? What do the facts tell you?

Hint – set yourself some deadlines for doing this ground work and give yourself a star when it’s finished. And, know that your idea may change with input from others or from unforeseen circumstances. Add, change, improve on your first idea. It will only get better! Remember, Lucky started with umbrellas and ended up with a real roof!

Activity / Use these notes to develop your action plan in the next steps.
What is the problem or opportunity? What draws you to this?
What expertise, past experience or knowledge helps you understand the situation?In other words, why me? Why now?
Even though you have a great idea, it’s worthwhile brainstorming other possible solutions. List them all. Does your idea still make sense?
Visualize your idea. What does it look like? Feel like? Describe it! Write it down!
Brainstorm ways to make it happen. Just write!
Do some research to deepen your understanding.After doing this is your idea still feasible?
Do a SWOT analysis. Look at the idea’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Are there any insurmountable obstacles?
Visualize what success looks like. How will you know when you have achieved it?
Revise your thinking as needed!

Let’s go to the next steps!

Step TWO – Find a Someone to Talk With!

Talking Mate (or Pal?) Mentor – not the right word or concept.

Hatching your idea can be a large undertaking and usually you can’t do it alone. Having someone to talk with can make the difference between an idea that stays unhatched and a successful project.

In your circle of friends, family and colleagues, who can you talk with? More than one might be even better! Look for someonewho likes to bounce ideas around, thinks clearly, is good at motivating you and who will provide you with timely and sincere feedback as you move forward.

My talking friend(s) is/are: ______

Make Your Flight Plan

Step THREE – Sort things out first!

Write down the steps you’ll need to take to hatch your idea. Carry a notebook with you (digital or paper) to capture ideas for each of the following areas (add more as needed for your idea). Figure out the priorities and set deadlines to accomplish them. Ask your talkingfriend to check in with you on meeting those deadlines! And, if you don’t know how to do something, ask for help. (See the next section for more on this.)

How are you going to…

Activity
Reach your target audience? Get the word out? How will you appeal to your audience? Do you need a brand identity for your project? What’s your communication strategy (printed materials, social media, website, app, gatherings, etc.)? In short, how are you going to create a buzz about your idea?
Identify your logistical needs? Do you need buildings or birthday cakes? List the things you will need and then look at how you are going to get them into place, in a timely way.
Fund your project? How much will it cost? Create a budget that shows potential money coming in and expenses going out. Ask for help with this!
Create a realistic timetable? This will require some serious thinking and planning but it’s essential. Ask for feedback from others on this to ensure it’s workable.
Create a people plan? Who is going to do what? And when?

Step FOUR – Draw others into your project

Have you noticed that there’s something magical about people who are energized by a project? Others naturally want to help! It’s called the psychology of success and it works. Enlist everyone you talk with to be on your cheering squad! Feel their support and excitement!

If you don’t know how to do something or if you are hesitant about your abilities, ask someone. You’ll be surprised by how people are willingto help you.

If your project needs more than just you to do the work, who are you going to enlist? It’s all about leadership and we know that working with people can, at times, also be challenging. Draw on your inner strengths to support and motivate others and to resolve any differences that come along. Check out the list of competencies on the Home Page … they are the foundation for drawing others into your project and for hatching your idea.

A word about change…most ideas result in a change to the status quo and not everyone welcomes this. People may resist your idea initially and part of your work is to help them understand the benefits of your idea in action. But it’s also to listen to their input, ideas and concerns;these will, without a doubt,result in a better project.

Embrace being the leader of your project – your idea depends on you!

Who’s on your cheering squad? How are you going to invite them into your project?
Who’s on your working team? What are they going to do? How are you going to “hire” them? Train them? Keep them motivated? Oversee their work?
Who else ought to be interested in your project? Can they help you even if they are not on the working team or cheering squad? If yes, how will you reach them?

Get Cracking

Step FIVE – Start Now!

It’s now or never…take a deep breath and step out with your idea. You can do it!

If procrastination is one of your issues, here’s a hint. For each of the big steps you’ve identified, add one or two small concrete steps. Then do them! Then add some more small steps. And do them. Before you know it you’ll have gained some altitude and you’ll be flying!

Are you overwhelmed by the sheer size of the list? It’s time to set some priorities for action and your time. One idea is to work from your proposed launch date backwards and identify how much time you need for each item, paying close attention to which comes first. Set deadlines for every step and then stand back to check to make sure everything fits together.

Not everything goes in a straight line. Sometimes you need to circle back and revisit an activity, even do it again and again. This brings up the question of how you are going to monitor and evaluate your project activities.

While in flight pilots (and birds) are continually trimming their wings to the winds and where they want to go. It’s the same with a project. You’ll need to watch (monitor) how the project unfolds and adjust accordingly. And it’s important to step back occasionally to evaluate how you are doing. Are you still headed to success? What’s working? What needs tweaking?

How will you…

Set priorities for your action steps?
Take your first step(s)? What will you do first? Second? Third? And when will you do these?
Monitor your steps? Are you paying attention to new factors? What needs to change and when?
Evaluate your project midstream and when launched?

Celebrate!

OMG… You’re flying! Your idea is really happening. That dream you had at the beginning is now real. How do you feel?

Is it the same idea now as it was then? How has it morphed? Do you feel it’s successful? Are you accomplishing your goals?

It’s time to party! Celebrate what you and your team, friends and community have done. Acknowledge everyone’s help. Have a gathering. Get out the balloons and champagne!

We talked about monitoring and evaluating in the last step and it’s a good idea to keep this going.

Depending on your idea, you may need to check that you are also building an infrastructure to support your project into the long term. This might be an organization or an office. What does your project need to survive?

You’re now nurturing and growing the project. You’ll need to feed it, guide it, and please don’t forget to love it!

Finally, many idea hatchers are excited by building and launching a project. Yet your fledgling project will need constant maintenance if it is a long term situation. It may be that you will find yourself distracted by the next big idea…

Creating a succession plan is key to your project’s long term success. And building this into your process up front is a good idea. What can you do to avoid the “Founders Syndrome”? We’ve all heard of companies and projects that fail when the founder stays on too long – don’t let this be your story.

How will you…

Celebrate? What’s your party plan?
Recognize everyone who helped you?
Continue to monitor the project?
Continue to evaluate the project’s success?
Build the necessary infrastructure to ensure its long-term viability?
Plan your changing role in maintaining your project?
Know when it’s time to leave? What’s your succession plan?

Does this seem overwhelming? If yes, don’t be alarmed. Your idea is worth your time and energy. Following these steps will give your idea a better chance of being a success.

Above all, believe in yourself. YOU CAN DO IT! Others can and will help you but you have to believe in your idea and in your ability to hatch it.

Good luck! And please send us your stories to help and inspire other idea hatchers! (Link to email to send?)

Steps to success – may 29