Sometimes, middle managers play an important part in bringing entrepreneurial and innovative proposals to top management's attention. Championing involves a complex sequence of activities. First, middle managers act as an initial screen, selecting a few from the broad array of business opportunities, new processes proposals, and administrative innovations suggested at operating levels. Living in the organizational ground between strategy and operations, middle managers are uniquely qualified to make such judgments. Having picked a proposal, managers begin to nurture the idea, providing "seed" resources that allow their unit to assess the feasibility of an experimental effort. At this stage, the endeavor lacks formal sanction, and managers' effectiveness depends greatly on a manager’s ability to get informal cooperation and support. After gaining some experience and building a credible proposal, they take the initiative forward, advocating it to top management.