Think vs Do! Ideate vs Execute! The thinker-doer dilemma.

Think vs Do!

Ideate VS execute!!

New ideas receive a fair dose of skepticism especially if they need a change in our way of work. Likewise, one gets trapped in the ‘now’, if he is not willing to look into the future and make changes to face it or create it. So, what is the right balance? How much innovation is okay and at what point should we look at the practicality of execution too? Should we think more ‘now’ so that we optimize on the effort in the future or excel at what we are doing now and not worry about the change bridge, until such time we have to cross it? Is the reluctance to accept change only an issue of moving away from comfort zone?

Some standard phrases thrown at the change agents are – “We must improve our execution first, then think about innovating” or “It’s easy to dream, difficult to implement” etc. Let us look at some of the elements around thinking for the future and executing well in the current.

A pit fall in the process hurrying to execute is the pursuit of incorrect idea. A wrong idea will always take you to a wrong destination. A wrong idea, executed well, will take you to your destination faster. Nevertheless, the destination will not be the one where you wanted to reach in the first place. If the solutioning is based on any constraints or is a knee jerk reaction to any pressure, the whole process and outcome are bound to fail. No one deliberately pursues the wrong ideas. The problem comes when one loses sight of the bigger picture and is caught up in an activity trap.

Stephen Covey in in his famous book, ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,’ shares an example of a person climbing efficiently on a ladder, only to discover that the ladder has been leaning against the wrong wall.

Another element to consider is the timing and impact of the idea we pursue. Ideas could be aplenty, but we must pursue only the ones, which have longer impact and are thought-through from inception to ease and consistency of execution. Repeat-ability and replicatability of the execution is as important as any other feature of a new idea. Mediocre ideas, no matter how well executed, will still give mediocre results. So the natural thing is to think that we should pursue ideas that are right at that time and situation. However, there is a catch again. If the aim is to create a differentiated experience/ offer / service / product, the input can’t be just a right idea. It has to be a great idea. The key lies in transiting from a stage, which nurtures innovation and move towards break-through ideas. An external intervention might not always provide an impetus to the transformation process. Building internal capability and incubating innovation with careful nurturing will help create the ecosystem where people would be free to express and iterate on new ideas. In addition, great ideas do not come easy. At the core of any great idea is a deep thought, appreciation of all the impacting elements and ability to nourish execution. Good is indeed the enemy of Great.

What about execution?

Execution makes innovation prosper. Without execution, ideas will remain in the discussion stage. Some teams and individuals build execution excellence as their most precious asset. No doubt, it is a great asset, but it should not be wasted merely on the mediocre, wrong or even good ideas. Instead, they should leverage it to the fullest by applying it on breakthrough ideas. Steve Jobs is regarded as one of the best innovative minds. But, he is also notorious for his ruthless executing skills. He drove execution at Apple in every imaginable way. But he didn’t run after every idea. After his return to Apple, he pruned the number of products from 350 to 10. Perhaps Steve Jobs was an exception. Not everyone can be a master of both ideation as well as execution. Most of the times, leaders are strong in one of the areas. Does that mean you have to make a trade-off between ideas and innovation? Not necessary.

Take the example of the intuitive, creative software designer Pierre Omdiyar, who started a new venture called AuctionWeb. Omdiyar knew that execution was not his greatest strength. He came across Jeff Skoll, whose skills in analysis and in the practical side of running a business made him a perfect match to Omidiyar’s skills . On Omdiyar’s invite, Skoll joined him as his first employee. Later, they changed the name of the company from AuctionWeb to eBay, which is now a multi-billion dollar business that operates in over 30 countries.

So, if execution is your top strength, stop undermining the importance of ideas, instead tag along with minds that are full of great ideas. When the best of ideas are driven through great execution, the magic of innovation happens.

So what to choose? Great ideas or excellent execution? If we have this question in mind, we have lost half the battle. Because the very mindset of ‘ideas vs execution’ is a flawed one. Anyone who believes that ideas and execution are set to be replaced with others who operate with the mindset of ‘idea AND execution’

The bottom line:

If your team / function is planning to pursue execution excellence, do it. However, never be under the illusion that it will compensate for the lack of creative ideas. Encourage people to think creatively. Train them in creative thinking. Everyone can learn to think creatively. Raise your bar. Demand for those creative ideas that will offer your team a clear edge. In addition, execute them with fervor.   This is how great teams disrupt the market with their innovative ideas and create delightful experiences that distinguish their organizations in the market.