Promoting Innovation
Give Your Staff an Informal Outlet to Test New Ideas
If you'd like your employees to be more innovative, you have several ways to promote creative thinking. Here is one that is easy and free.
As the CEO of a technology business, Lee wanted to see his company maintain its edge by innovating in whatever large or small ways it could. One idea he hit upon to promote innovation he called the “Idea Factory.”
Lee informed employees that the Idea Factory would be open Thursdays where he could be found eating lunch in one of the small conference rooms. If anyone wanted to stop by, they were welcome to come and bat new ideas around with him.
Business at the Idea Factory was slow at first. A few of Lee’s dedicated staff would join him for lunch just so he wasn’t eating alone, and for this he was appreciative. He let them know he was serious about getting people to open up with whatever crazy ideas they might have.
A few minor ideas were discussed in those first meetings, but Lee wasn’t discouraged. He knew people were holding back while feeling out the boss and what to make of the informal format. “Was it really safe to offer new ideas, or would they just be shot down?” he knew they were wondering.
Gradually new faces started joining the lunchtime confab. Conversations were often wide-ranging, but at some point, Lee would prompt the group for any thoughts they had on ways to do things differently.
Part of his occasional speech was “I’m not looking for better ideas. I’m looking for different ideas. An idea can’t be better if it’s not different from what we’re doing now. After we figure out something different, then we can decide if it’s better or not.”
It soon became clear to all that anyone was welcome and all ideas were gamely batted around. Everyone knew better than to criticize any idea put forth. The game was “could you put a spin on it that made it more feasible in your own eyes?” Joining the Thursday get-togethers actually became fun for the extroverts and was a safe and supportive environment for even the introverts.
Another benefit of the informal group structure was that Lee didn’t have to be the bad guy. The round-table discussion made it apparent when an idea wasn’t gaining traction. Also, Lee realized that he was not as qualified as others to weigh in on some suggestions. Something he might have dismissed, others bought into.
Something else Lee observed is that some staff members would bring ideas in to test and perhaps refine, then they would go quietly back to work and implement them.
According to Lee, the Idea Factory never produced any homeruns, but he thought it had the potential to even though it went out of existence when he left the company. Yet, the Idea Factory still had plenty of singles and doubles.
“All in all, it had a noticeable affect on morale, company culture, and the bottom line,” Lee adds, “and that was the point.”
