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 Will 2005
be a year of ideas for you?
What stops most
people in our organizations from being more innovative
(perhaps even you)?
Hi,
The Idea Factory has just released the 2005 Yearly Idea
Navigator Guide. This unique idea management
tool combines a 2005 calendar with a Navigator Guide
that helps you tackle 12 challenges in 2005.
Why is this a useful
tool?
The Centre for Creative Leadership
looked at this question: what stops people from being
innovative? It found two concerns. Most people say that
they not being more innovative in their thinking for two
reasons:
- Their perception of a lack of time as in "no time
for innovative thinking"
- Their perception of a lack of challenge as in "no
need for innovative thinking".
The Idea
Factory took on the challenge of creating a tool to help
people manage their time to allow just enough time to
work on important ideas.
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 Ideas Are Free
Here's a tip
for you - there is a great new book to help those
organizations looking to start or enhance their
'suggestion box' programs. OK, I freely admit
that most of these programs don't work very well. Based
on research from over 300 companies by Dean Schroeder
for their book, Ideas Are Free, the key reason is that
most programs are not well designed. I
met Dean at the annual conference for the
Employee Involvement Association. We talked
about a variety of our observations and concluded
that the vast majority of organizations are only
starting to tap the true potential of their
staff to contribute their ideas and insights.
Four key findings from Ideas Are Free
include:
- Ideas must become part of everyday
work - not a special events that happens once
in a while.
- Focus on the small ideas and leave the big
ideas for others - all staff can find many
small ideas that truly make a difference.
- Draw attention to what is
important - to ask for "ideas" is not enough.
Top managers must focus people on issues that are
important.
- Recognition is more important than
rewards.
At the conference, the US Army was recognised for
its efforts to promote ideas.
The Ideas are Free book is well worth the
investment if you want to watch your suggestion
programs get greater results.
Check out a sample of the book Ideas are
Free… |
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 Use of Navigator Guides for Conferences
Growing
In 2004, the range of
conferences using the Conferences Navigator Guides has
grown. Here is the growing list of conference
organizers who used our Navigator Guides: the
BC Credit Union, University of Saskatchewan, Business
Professional Women Association, and the Canadian Society
for Training and Development. The most recent conference
to use our Navigator Guides? The CSTD Knowledge
Exchange Conference, 2004. [CSTD is a
not-for-profit, professional association for workplace
learning and performance practitioners]
In 2003, the CSTD used the navigator guides and
then followed up with some post conference research to
ask about its value to the participants. Did it
work? Yes! The CSTD found:
- Over 90% of participants found it very or somewhat
useful for the event.
- Over 55% said that they would definitely use their
Navigator after the conference.
- Another 31% said that they would likely use their
Navigator after the conference.
In the next couple of weeks, CSTD will again
research it members after its November conference. Let's
hope that even more people say that they will continue
to use their notes, insights and ideas after the event.
Perhaps one of the most meaningful
experiences was the use of the Guides at the Hospice
Association of Ontario. The audience was not a
typical business audience. It was a cross section of
nurses, administrators, and volunteers of Ontario's
hospices. Did the navigator guide's ideas make an
impact? Absolutely, according to the many comments I was
given. People understand the need to make hospices a
great experience for people in the final part of their
lives. To do so requires many new ideas. This
was a rewarding experience.
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 Free Idea Factory Posters
Many people have taken advantage of this free
offer to download this "Banned Creativity
Killers" poster. It is a PDF file that can be
printed using your colour printer (11x17 if your system
supports this). Download Your Free Poster
Now!
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 Five Golden Rules for Innovative
Organizations
Golden
Rules are like a personal or company
philosophy. No amount of research can prove or disprove
them - you simply believe them. Here
are the Golden Rules for innovation from The Idea
Factory.
- Listen To People
Listen to
people when they comment, criticize, offer suggestions
or ask questions. Respond positively.
There is a belief that for every customer who
complains, another nine stay silent. Don't
silence the one who speaks. The same applies
for staff who offer you ideas; even bad ones.
Listen to them, understand their
concerns. Don't be patronizing or defensive.
Many opportunities have been lost with comments such
as, "what's wrong with the way we do it here?" They
may be right and you may be wrong!
- Seek Out Ideas People
Seek out employees, suppliers, customers and
others who are ideas people.
Develop
networks of people who can contribute a number of
perspectives. Look for enthusiastic people. Employees
or customers who challenge the status quo are not the
enemy they are your allies.
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