Train the Trainer

Teach a person how to run an idea collection and they’ll know how do it. Teach a person how to teach others and your organization will be filled with innovation experts.

A classic train-the-trainer program makes sure that instead of one central expert trying to reach everyone, you create a network of internal champions who can guide others. It’s how successful organizations scale knowledge without burning out a single person.

Why does it work? Because people learn best from peers they trust. Trainers understand the context, speak the same language, and know what matters locally. It builds ownership, accelerates adoption, and makes the innovation program more resilient.

In practice, that means finding a few people who’ve run great idea collections and equipping them with the tools to teach others. Share a playbook, record a walk-through, or co-host a session. Support them as leaders.

The result: more people leading, more teams innovating, and a program that doesn’t die when you have to shift gears or shift focus for a while.