What are the next steps when you have an idea for a quality improvement project, a business case or an entrepreneurial opportunity? We can all be that person who changes things for the good.

I love this video that shows if children can come up with great ideas: we can too!

Many of us feel that we are not able to identify new solutions or turn an idea into action.

Every idea and project needs to consider who are the individuals and groups that are intrinsic to the solution. We need to consider how we can connect and enable everyone to be heard.

Our role as leader is to understand how we can hear wider viewpoints. This is really important and often forgotten.

 We need to explore and understand the problem (market research).

Being able to use your senses and talk to others to explore the problem. You need to dissect the problem from all angles – see it, feel it, move it around, touch it and listen.

When looking at the problem, consider it free from the system it exists within.

Ensure you are listening to all the voices and be aware of the power people and systems hold.

By creating neutral safe spaces, we can hear peoples truths and limit interpretation through our own lens of experience. Then we will ensure that we identify all the data that can inform our solution.

Finally, be kind with the time frame!

We should always give ourselves longer than we anticipate.

My personal experience is that although local improvements can be delivered in a few months, every project has to embed and if we are not careful your new idea will rapidly return to the previous status quo.

The need to embed and champion the change often takes two or three years of constant reinforcement to ensure that your great idea becomes part of the fabric of our service.