Ideas
& NETWORKING
Your World of Ideas
Ideas from people in all roles, and at all levels of the organization, have the potential to deliver massive value.
Continuous improvement relies on new ideas. The largest areas of new value are largely unseen, and it's those that must be surfaced.
This relies on a management commitment to sponsor new thinking, assess ideas and then take viable ideas through to fruition.
Key Features of Ideas & Networking
- Socialise the concept that ideas are welcomed from anyone in the organization, and will be respected and given the appropriate levels of air-time.
- New ideas, often the source of untapped value, can be converted into bottom-line value for any organization.
- To realise value they must be easily launched by anyone in the business, and then supported by management teams keen to discuss and explore.
- Taking ideas through the system to fruition must be simple, transparent and fair otherwise your people will stop raising new ideas.
- Those raising ideas must be acknowledged and praised. In many respects, ideas are a door-opener to trust and mutual respect, while unearthing value.
- Ideas also underpin flexible networks of people that come together to position ideas, and change behaviours.
New Ideas can lead to big shifts
As with every other work function integrating ideas into the rest of the organization delivers immediate benefits. The key to ideas taking hold is that multiple people need to take them up and then change their behaviours to make the most of the innovation imagined in the idea.
Ideas need to be launched, discussed through Conversations, and voted on, in the one place, so the relative worth of all ideas can be established. This is also the way you can manage ‘left-field’ ideas spawned out of watercooler conversations, or other initiatives, such as projects.
Ideas build Networks
Ideas can be used to network within and across your organization, and share thinking and IP.
Some ideas will be so self-evident you'll make the decision to implement immediately. Others may form the basis of much richer organizational conversations as you explore options and opportunities through networks of Conversations, and #tagging.
Some will need to be delivered through Activities or Projects, which can be launched out of the idea itself. Some will be parked for later consideration.
Ideas - Quick Tips
- Allow all your people to raise ideas in the easiest way possible. Encourage ideas from everywhere and anyone.
- Make sure you have the necessary management systems to collect ideas and then curate ideas.
- Recognise that different types of ideas all have merit but will be stored, managed and used in quite different ways.
