Today, I realized I'm the problem. I'm the one that's stopping new ideas from flourishing inside my company. Here's how my repeating groundhog story goes… #1: I listen to a podcast while walking or driving. #2: I discover a new idea that I believe is either an opportunity or could solve a problem we face. #3: I share the podcast with a team member. #4: I ask them to review it and let me know what they think. Almost everyone quickly responds and says they're excited to listen to the podcast. I smile and release the idea into the depths of my brain. But more often than not, days turn into weeks. The idea fades out. Then, at some unknown time, way down the road, something triggers that memory. And I say, "Whatever happened with idea X?" When I realize my idea never went anywhere, I immediately get triggered. And this part I don't like admitting, but I instantly start wondering if the person I sent the idea to is the problem. That's just not good. Today, perhaps for the first time ever, I realized it was never about them, it was always about me… You see, I simply throw idea bombs into people's offices and walk away. It's like asking ChatGPT to solve a problem for you without providing any context, simply assuming it can read your brain. And here's the crazy part, we have a guiding principle in our company called "people over ideas." It states that ideas should be considered and thought out before being introduced to people. Instead, I flush the idea out of my brain and onto other people's desks. I'm not following the very principles we teach in my company. Yikes!! So today, I'm beginning to work on a formal process to get my ideas documented and transferred in a trackable way. That means I need to ensure that the (1) reason behind the idea is clear and (2) what specifically the other person should focus on is very clear BEFORE I ask someone to review an idea. It's gonna require some more work. However, I'm excited to see the true transfer of ideas happen inside my company as a result of this coming shift in my ways. Do you struggle with similar challenges? How do you convey new discoveries to other people in a way that they can latch onto it? I'd love to hear from you.