"Vision reaches beyond the thing that is, into the conception of what can be.  Imagination gives you the picture.  Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own." - Robert Collier

It can be very difficult for a person to describe the idea that is floating around in their head.  They can see it so clearly.  It makes perfect sense.  It works seamlessly with other tools/processes.  If only you could see it!

Being able to visualize or create a hands-on model of your idea is the first step in making it "real."  If the idea is more conceptual, like a business process improvement or service innovation, I turn to the "Periodic Table of Visualization Methods":

               

This incredible online tool, created by Visual Literacy, is a treasure-trove of visualization methods that is sure to spark the imagination of anyone having difficulty putting their ideas down on paper in an organized format.

There are, of course, other methods for making the connection between concept and reality.  Physical models and prototypes, even crude foam blocks, create a tactile and visual impact.  For those of you who have enjoyed the attraction, Soarin', at either Walt Disney World's EPCOT or Disney's California Adventure, that entire concept was prototyped using an Erector Set!  In the software development world, prototyping via Agile and XP methods are the norm.  In your line of work, I am sure you have ways of communicating concepts without building the whole thing. 

So here's the point I want to make...an idea isn't real until you do something with it.  If the idea remains in your head, it isn't real.  You have to communicate what that idea is...what it does...what it looks like...how it works.  Until you do that, it isn't real.  Make your ideas real!