By Kerry Frank
November 25, 2025
Once your core team is in motion, everyone should have an assignment. Innovation doesn’t move forward because one person carries the entire weight. It moves because the right people collect the right information at the right time. That doesn’t mean every person who helps you gather data becomes part of your group. Sometimes you just need one conversation.
You might take someone from finance out to lunch, so they can pull a cost analysis for you. Or you might meet with someone in IT to understand how the company vets new vendors. You don’t have to reveal your full project or bring them into your meetings. A simple, I’m working on a small internal project and need your input, is enough.
This keeps your group small and focused. And trust me, everyone will appreciate that you’ve done your homework long before you bring a larger team to the table.
This stage requires communication inside your team and smart use of your network. Every company has that one person people avoid. Someone says, “I don’t want to talk to them, they will shut me down instantly. They don’t like anyone.” But maybe someone on your team has a different relationship. Maybe they helped that person months ago, and now have the influence to ask for a favor. Use the strengths and connections inside your group.
The same goes for external partners. Maybe you need insight from a vendor, but the only contact you have is the salesperson. Meanwhile, someone on your team knows a director or VP in that same company and can make the right introduction. Navigating these dynamics makes everything move faster.
And do not rush this process. It took me years to move some initiatives forward, but every month we made progress. That momentum is what keeps the team energized. Innovation is rarely an overnight win. It is a series of very deliberate steps that eventually break through.
But be careful. Sometimes someone who was aligned with you suddenly isn’t. Maybe they shifted direction. Maybe someone else pulled them into a new priority. Maybe they misunderstood something in a meeting and are quietly backing away. This happens all the time.
When that happens, go back and check in. A simple, I thought we were aligned, and that’s my mistake for assuming. Can you share what changed? opens the door. Often it’s a small misunderstanding that you can clear up in minutes. Other times their department is facing a much bigger issue than your team realized, and they honestly need a different path. Or maybe their boss just put a massive project on their plate and they don’t have the bandwidth.
The goal is never to force everyone into the room. The goal is to understand why someone steps out and make sure your team remains strong, informed, and aligned. That’s how you keep innovation moving forward without losing people along the way.
With Gratitude,
~ Kerry
I’d love to hear what resonated most with you. Feel free to comment below.
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