Introduction

Creativity is an integral part of an organization.  Manufacturing, engineering, and service-oriented industries all need creativity to satisfy customers in different ways.  Creativity can also be used to foster process improvements.  Further, it is used in the customer service industries to solve problems when the resolution is outside of the parameters that the customer is hoping for.  However, many times the leadership or operational structure of an organization can stand in the way of the individual employee's ability to generate creative ideas for change.  Even so, there are some clear steps that an organization can take to garner ideas from employees for positive change.

Ideas Requesting

I have been a part of a few of those organizations that have the submit ideas box.  In fact, any company I have been employed with has had some place where employees can submit ideas for positive change.  Most of them are more voluntary than others.  However, overall, the positive change ideas method is one that can make or break an employee's success beyond the "little fish" category.  This is because employee-generated ideas provide a clear perspective from the tactile frame of a company, the place where the tasks get done.  It provides leaders with a bottom-up approach to solving real problems related to productive efficiency.  Yet, many times those ideas are few and far between.  More rare is an idea that can actually be implemented.

Level of Voluntariness

Leadership theorists have contemplated for decades about whether ideas are best to be generated voluntarily or else as a requirement.  There are theories regarding the setting of boundaries of ideas, yet the removal of structure.  Theorists have delved into the free flow of thought, as well as the varied opening and closing of that free flow.  Some theorists have touched on the idea that ideas generated as a requirement are locked up or else not as good as those generated on the whim.  Others have looked into ways to structure idea generation so that they can be easily generated and then passed on by the whim.  Still others have looked at ways to train employees to generate ideas.

Reporting Systems

Another thing that theorists have delved into is the general use of technology within an organization - is technology the main frame of communication or do employees communicate in person and one on one?  Does technology drive the feedback structure with daily or task-related reports, are such reports handwritten, are there no real reports given?  Many organizations are able to harness some of the general tactile methods by delving into those typed or handwritten reports to grab out the essence of the employee's workflow, using the employee's individual descriptions.  However, some use predominantly generalized coding language for the reports and are only seeking out metrics for action-related efficiencies.  Either way suggests a different type of gathering of information related to the ability to encourage idea generation from the reports.

In-person Structures

In more in-person type organizations, there is usually a mention of how to provide ideas to upper management.  Where idea generation is mostly voluntary, these means of providing ideas may be hidden or minimally communicated and employees may not even understand that those ideas are encouraged.  For instance, providing employees with an information line and then explaining verbally or in writing, or both ways, that the line is also used for employee ideas is a very ambiguous way to encourage idea generation.  Most employees may not even register that the line exists for that reason.  Some may even believe that the ideas generated are for ways to resolve a conflict that would also be reported on that line.  There is a similar result for the organization that uses the paper and drop box method.  Even when the paper and drop box are affixed with a pen next to the clock in a system where employees have to look at it every day.

The placement of an ideas box is very important.  For instance, one placed at the front counter as the employee walks in may seem like it should be obvious to every employee at the organization.  However, what if there is a compelling painting on the wall behind the desk and employees typically consult with it as they walk into the office for therapy as they begin or end their day?  They may not notice the drop box.  When it is placed by their time logging system, they may notice it and they may not help but to notice it, however at this point their minds are focused on their time and it may give them thoughts of not having enough time to sit there and generate an idea for the company.  Then there is the drop box method placed in the break room or the lunch room or both.  Here the employee may be off the clock, is expected to be relaxing and away from the desk.  They may have their mind buzzing with all the work they need to go back to or else what they have just finished and have the time to write something down.  This could be an effective placement, especially when there is one placed on every table as it is were a table decoration.  While placement is very important, employers would need to consider how they administer the desire for ideas.

Administering the Call

The administration of the call for ideas is very important in obtaining high or low levels of ideas from employees.  For instance, I have seen a few different calls for ideas.  At one organization there was a weekly motivation meeting.  The ideas box placed in the employee room that was a combined break room, lunch room, and time clock room.  It was never really mentioned of by management.  However, employees who placed ideas into it that were useable by management were recognized at the morning motivation and sometimes given either bonuses or leadership positions for implementation or both.  It was enough to get employees thinking about how they could relay ideas if they thought they had a good one. 

Another company had the star sheet with a drop box on the front desk to each unit.  They also had the morning motivations.  They also honored employees for turning in ideas.  However, this company did something that was slightly different from the other.   This one made it a requirement to turn in ideas.  There were four star sheets to be turned in each month.  They then anonymously voted on the top picks by management for the star sheets.  The main downfall is that they employer didn't make it obvious that the star sheets were a main requirement.  They asked employees to put their names on the sheets and it became a part of the employee evaluation program.  When employees didn't meet the requirement, they got sent to a class for self -discovery.  The employer invested in the employee's ability to generate ideas, hoping that making the requirement more ambiguous would be the element that allowed the free flow of thought.

Presenting Ideas

There are a few different ways that presenting employee ideas to the general employment body can be implemented to effect ideas generation.  In the first example, only those ideas that management already determined that they could do and that were useful would be brought up to the general employment body, and those employees were honored.  The management team typically allowed the employment body to vote on something related to the idea as well, so that everyone took part in the decision to implement it.  This provided positive feedback and made the employees more willing to reach out to discover how to input their own ideas. 

In the second example, it didn't matter whether or not the idea was spoken about to the general body or not because the idea was required to pass evaluations.  There is a third way in which the employee may have the requirement, but it only effects their pay and does not affect their continuous employment.  This method may get some employees to care more about getting the word out about their idea, or else deter shy employees from wanting to share in case the idea is spread.  Animosity about sharing can be resolved through voluntary disclosures or else requested nondisclosure of the information about the ideas generator.

Remote Technology Bound Structures

For offices that communicate through computer systems, report through computer systems, and generally run via computers in remote plus in person cultures, the system of idea generation may be slightly different.  Idea generation can be harnessed, developed, and administered through the computer platform.  It can allow employees from all over the world to combine their tacit knowledge and create ideas off of one another. Such a platform can combine monetary incentives, gathering of reporting knowledge, planning for implementation, and employee recognition all in one space.

Employee Access

First of all, employees that generate typed reports are able to save their data in a companywide system.  Systems owned by corporations have many different infrastructures with varying availabilities made to levels of employees.  Some have open systems where employees can access all applications and all networks.  Others are very mechanistic and only allow limited access to some employees and more open access to others.  Some gear the access towards specific departments plus agendas. 

In those, applications are maintained in the main systems and then employees are granted "worlds" access to the applications and networks used for the domain of their department.  For cross-departmental projects, project managers may open access to a combined space specific to that project.  Others may create generalized open access for current plus any possible future projects.  However, allowing employees as wide a level of access to networks that share tacit knowledge of company processes can open a plethora of access to ideas after these tacit techniques are combined with an individual's unique knowledge.  Where the access is specialized between departments, the ideas generated also become more specialized while they may also be more valuable due to the level of skill put into the limited idea space.

Software Capabilities

Software applications also have unique capabilities outside of mere access.  For instance, with an employee management system, IT professionals can maintain access to various software licenses.  They can generate a cocktail of applications that allow employees to put together presentations of their ideas.  They can also plan their ideas.  If the ideas are related to certain designs, they can design them.  Also, if the ideas are software related or else ai related, they can essentially be able to develop their idea.  Employers can design the EMS infrastructure to allow employees to bring their idea into reality.  They can also open up online classes and webinars for the employees so that they can learn how to use available tools to make their ideas happen.  Finally, employers can open up task lists so that whenever the employee submits the idea and begins to work on it, the employer can then plan project follow-ups to encourage the continuous development of the idea.

Training

Idea making out of idea generation could go in both a negative and positive direction regarding employees resulting desire to generate ideas.  Some employees may catch on to the idea of infrastructure a lot easier than others.  These employees are bound to be motivated to continuously produce until something works.  Others may be unsure about the system and feel too stressed to play with it at all.  Without prodding, this type of employee may ignore the entire idea-generating system entirely to avoid the stress of messing with it.  However, employers may provide periodic mandatory training on the system that comes with time to play around.  This may become a positive encouragement for those stressed out by the workings of the system, and generate a boundless, flourishing ideas zone for the company.

Conclusion

Encouraging employees to generate ideas for the company may seem like an impossible feat.  Different companies ask for it in a variety of ways from extremely passive to very actively involved. A flourishing system mixes incentive with enablement.  An enablement program will often honor a diverse range of setbacks and work to conquer them all.  With a little bit of design work, some research, and a lot of involvement, a company ideas generation system can be the lifeline of the company.