Practical insights for turning employee ideas into action
The Ideas-to-Action Blog is your hub for employee-powered innovation—practical insights, tools, client stories, and leadership guidance drawn from the book, the Ideas-to-Action Process, and real-world work with leadership teams.
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Choose one of these free resources to begin applying the Ideas-to-Action Process—then explore the blog for practical tools, real examples, and leadership insights drawn from the book and 35+ years of work with leadership teams.
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Ideas-to-Action Insights
Key ideas, leadership insights, and practical lessons drawn from the book and 35+ years of work with leadership teams.
Ideas-to-Action Solutions
Practical tools, templates, and how-to guidance aligned to the Ideas-to-Action Solution Suite.
Client Stories
Real-world examples of frontline teams turning employee ideas into measurable results.
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A local branch manager hits the wall. In the face of unexpected profitability pressures, his team was feeling out of control and low on confidence to resolve the issue. Learn how applying simple X/Y Thinking (Step 1 of the Ideas-to-Action Process™) pinpointed a motivating mission for the “Garment Guardians” team, unleashing $125k in results and restoring team confidence....
A simple frontline idea, borne from experience, could have saved month and millions. But faced with mounting losses a leader chose the comfortable path. Explore the Amber Vial story and learn why more precision and attention in upfront assessment pays big dividends when responding to change and innovation challenges and opportunities....
No experts? Limited budget? Facing immense pressure? See how one healthcare change professional transformed constraints into catalysts by ditching complex change methods and equipping her frontline staff with an adapted, practical approach focused on quick wins and real results....
Can change processes themselves become the barrier to change? Explore the "Dogma Trap"—when rigid adherence to methods overshadows crucial frontline wisdom and slows results. Learn why adapting process to people is critical for success and how the Ideas-to-Action approach avoids this pitfall....
Why do up to 70% of change efforts fail? Common reasons like communication or leadership often miss the mark. The answer is hiding in plain sight, rooted in how we activate (or fail to engage) frontline motivation and agency through process. Discover the hidden cause and the Ideas-to-Action Process specifically designed to address it....
Over the years, I've had the privilege of facilitating numerous organizational turnarounds using the Ideas-to-Action Process and principles. Some stories truly stand out as powerful testaments to what's possible when leadership fully embraces employee-powered innovation. The account that follows, told in the words of “Dan,” an airline hub director I worked closely with, is one of the most compelling. Here is Dan's firsthand story......
Even with great employee ideas, common leadership missteps can kill the motivation to change. Discover the "Tariff on Employee Ideas" and learn about the Five Motivation Killers that impose it....
Faced with a massive profit gap and a tight deadline, a food distribution CEO turned to her frontline teams and the Ideas-to-Action 60-day sprint model. Discover how prioritizing speed delivered extraordinary results....
Why do so many change initiatives lose steam? Discover the power of prioritizing speed, inspired in part by lessons from the playing style of tennis legend Björn Borg, and learn how the Ideas-to-Action 60-day sprint model keeps motivation high and delivers rapid results....