From Idea to Action: How Activation Drives Real Momentum

If Ideation is where ideas are born, Activation is where those ideas grow legs. It’s the space where good intentions turn into strategic plans, and where alignment, clarity, and energy are either built—or lost. And yet, in our work with organizations of all sizes, this phase is one of the most misunderstood or completely skipped.

In our first post, we explored the Ideation phase of The Working Genius model—the space where questions are asked and ideas are born. Today, we move to the next critical step in any successful project: Activation.

The Working Genius model, developed by Patrick Lencioni and The Table Group, identifies six types of genius and organizes them into three phases of any work cycle:

• Ideation (Wonder, Invention)

• Activation (Discernment, Galvanizing)

• Implementation (Enablement, Tenacity)

Activation is where potential turns into momentum. It’s the bridge between good ideas and real execution. But it’s also the phase most likely to be rushed—or skipped entirely.

What Is the Activation Phase?

Activation includes two of the six Working Geniuses:

• Discernment – Evaluating ideas using intuition and judgment

• Galvanizing – Rallying people around the idea and moving them to act

In short, this phase asks two critical questions:

1. Is this idea worth pursuing?

2. If so, how do we get people excited to move forward?

   
   

When these steps are rushed—or skipped—organizations either move too slowly (“paralysis by analysis”) or too fast (committing to unvetted ideas). Neither ends well.

Client Story: Hiring the Wrong Role

Discernment isn’t just about saying yes or no—it’s about sensing what’s workable and refining what’s not. People with this Genius often can’t explain why something feels off, but they’re usually right. Their gut-level judgment isn’t arbitrary; it’s pattern recognition built over time.

Galvanizing, on the other hand, is about getting people moving. It’s not cheerleading—it’s strategic enthusiasm. Galvanizers get people aligned, excited, and mobilized. They know how to communicate urgency and inspire action without micromanaging.

We were working with a small business client who asked for our help recruiting an executive assistant. During early conversations, they mentioned this person would also run their leadership team meetings. That immediately raised a flag.

Typically, a CEO or business owner leads those meetings. Curious, (as we do with all our clients) we had her take the Working Genius assessment. Sure enough, Galvanizing was one of her Working Frustrations.

This insight reshaped the entire conversation. Rather than hiring someone to fill a gap she didn’t enjoy, we helped her realize she was actually looking for a COO—someone who could vet ideas and rally the team. The Working Genius model gave language and clarity to something she had always felt but never named.

Another Example: Strategy Without Energy

In another project, we worked with the board and staff of a nonprofit support organization that had developed an impressive set of strategic goals that re-imagined their role in the community and how they would brand themselves going forward. Their ideas were thoughtful, aligned with their revised mission, vision, and values, and well-written. But after close to a year, there was no movement.

Why? Because the team had spent all their energy in Ideation and documentation—and none on Activation. There were no clear owners. No one had been empowered to rally the troops. Without someone championing the effort, the plan just sat on a shelf.

The board chair asked us to re-engage with the organization on a retainer basis, working with them on Activating their strategic plan. We worked with the team to discern which projects they should move forward with and in what way, and helped them Galvanize talent and members of the board. For more than a year we’ve been serving in the role of motivator and mobilizer—allowing momentum to return.

How I Show Up in Activation

As someone with the Geniuses of Enablement (more on this one in our next installment) and Discernment, the Activation phase is one of the areas where I thrive. I use my Discernment constantly—especially since Invention is a Working Frustration for me. When new ideas surface, I help refine them, test their soundness, and push back when needed.

This isn’t about being a critic. It’s about curating ideas and helping Inventors sharpen their thinking through feedback. I often say, 'I may not come up with the big idea—but I’ll help you figure out if it’s the right one.

Common Pitfalls in the Activation Phase

Here are the most common traps we see when Activation is missing or underdeveloped:

• Skipping Activation entirely – Teams go straight from Ideation to Implementation

• Lack of alignment – Ideas are greenlit without real vetting or team buy-in

• Paralysis by analysis – Teams get stuck evaluating and never decide to act

• No Galvanizing energy – The plan is good, but no one’s championing it

This is why, in our strategic planning work, we aim to get teams to Implementation quickly—but with the right Activation steps in place. Overthinking a plan can stall momentum just as much as skipping the evaluation process altogether.

Why Teams Skip Activation

There are a few key reasons why the Activation phase is often skipped or rushed:

• Time pressure – Teams feel the urgency to deliver results and jump straight into doing.

• Lack of awareness – Many leaders don’t realize that evaluating and rallying around ideas is a distinct phase of work.

• Frustration with ambiguity – Discernment can feel slow or subjective, and Galvanizing takes emotional labor—neither is always comfortable.

• No clear ownership – When no one owns the Activation step, it falls through the cracks.

Understanding these dynamics is the first step toward correcting them.

Moving from Idea to Action

Activation is what makes strategy practical. It’s the moment where ideas either take root—or wither. Without clear evaluation and energized buy-in, even great ideas struggle to grow.

If you’re noticing that your team starts strong but never follows through—or keeps planning without ever launching—you might be missing Activation.

The good news? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Working Genius gives us the language to understand these gaps and the tools to close them.

The Activation phase is not optional—it’s the linchpin. It ensures that the energy of Ideation doesn’t fizzle out and that Implementation has a real chance to succeed. The best ideas in the world don’t matter if no one believes in them—or no one moves them forward.

Curious if you’re skipping the Activation Phase?

Check out this worksheet.

Ready to strengthen your Activation phase?

Let’s talk.Contact us at 

• Phone: 404-850-7957

• Email: info@expertiseinresults.com

About the Author

Patrick Larkin is a seasoned Nonprofit Consultant with over 25 years of leadership experience across various institutions. With a foundation in public horticulture and museum management, he has served on the board of the American Public Gardens Association and as a Peer Reviewer for the American Alliance of Museums. Patrick honed his skills in fundraising, board development, and strategic planning, continually focusing on aligning organizational missions with public needs.