Good Systems · public information library

What can I do at work to help someone when they have lots of ideas but struggle to turn them into action?

People come here to understand why something in everyday life feels harder, different or more costly than it should — and what might make it work better.

Short answer

Separate idea generation from choosing what gets actioned.

What this can look like

A team can generate many good ideas and still fail to choose which one will become work.

Why it can happen

A team benefits from many ideas when it also has a clear way to capture, prioritise and assign the next step. Not every idea has to become an urgent commitment.

What might help

Capture ideas separately from prioritisation. Use clear criteria and one owner for the next action.

What the research helps explain

Australian ADHD guidance and international consensus evidence describe ADHD as affecting everyday functioning for some people, including attention, planning, memory, time and follow-through. At work, practical supports and fair design can be useful without identifying anyone as having ADHD.

What can vary

Stress, sleep, health, task design, role clarity and preference can create similar work patterns. Do not diagnose employees, seek private medical information or make support conditional on disclosure.

For this situation

For you, keep an idea register and a smaller “now” list with owners.

More info and original sources

Poko summarises the relevance of public original sources and links out for anyone who wants to read more.