Suggestion Schemes and Such
Introduction to Module 6
In this module we will look at a simple way to use your idea management or suggestion software to create a system for processing and assigning implementation of useful, non-iVision ideas. If you do not have such software, you can also use this approach for ideation initiatives that tend to generate lots of useful, non-iVision ideas.
Pre-questions (questions to think about before moving forward):
- Do you have idea management or suggestion software?
- Do you run activities to generate ideas?
- How do you process ideas? How does that work for you?
- Can you think of a better approach?
Suggestion Schemes, Idea Management and Brainstorms
In the previous module, I pointed out that most suggestion scheme and idea management software is not very good for building iVision supporters and pushers. Rather, because it is open to anyone to submit any idea, such software tends to capture lots of relatively simple ideas that are either useful non-iVision ideas or useless ideas. Likewise, formal brainstorms, with their focus on maximising the number of ideas rather than on quality or depth of ideas, tend also to capture useful non-iVision ideas and useless ideas.
If you use such tools, you will be pleased to know that there is a use for them. All you need to do is to create a system which quickly and almost automatically processes ideas. This requires a little initial legwork on your part, but once you have the system set up, it pretty much works automatically.
Self Maintaining Suggestion Schemes
In a self maintaining suggestion scheme, every submitted ideas is quickly approved or rejected. If it is approved, the person who submitted the idea is given the authorisation to implement it herself. Ideally, she also receives a small budget to get the implementation started.
The initial result of this approach is that people will submit fewer ideas, because they will stop and think about whether or not they want to implement their ideas. This is a good thing. Ideas that no one wants to implement are not ideas that you want. So, your system will capture fewer ideas, but a much larger percentage of those ideas will be implemented. Moreover, since the person submitting the idea will be the developer of the idea, the implementation process will be automatic.
To make the process easier, create simple evaluation tools that idea submitters can use to self-evaluate their ideas. If an idea evaluates poorly, the submitter has the choice of rejecting it herself, improving upon it or submitting it anyway because she believes it is a special case. Again, this reduces the number of ideas that need approval.
Talk to More Decision Makers
Once again, you will need to talk to decision makers, particularly in divisions not directly involved with iVision ideas. Usually, these will be more administrative divisions. Ask about the kind of ideas they want, define self-evaluation criteria, and specify a simple approval system for low budget ideas.
Get their Commitment to Review Ideas
Get decision makers to commit to reviewing submitted ideas with the aim of approving viable ideas and rejecting non-viable ideas as quickly as possible. Devise a feedback system that explains why ideas are rejected. This takes time over the short term, but provides information to ideas submitters that enables them to submit more relevant ideas in the future. Since ideas tend to get rejected for commonplace reasons, you can probably create a template rejection response. Needless-to-say, the decision makers themselves need not review ideas; they can assign this task to trusted direct reports.
The High Trust Option
An even better approach than asking decision makers to approve ideas is to empower idea submitters to implement their ideas without authorisation, provided the ideas meet set criteria. This takes up less time for you and decision makers and puts the responsibility on the idea submitters. It is a great way to manage incremental innovation, but it requires a level of trust that may does not exist in many organisations.
An option is to require that idea submitters post their ideas on the suggestion software for a week. If no one rejects the idea in that time, the idea is considered approved and the submitter is expected to begin to implement it.
Idea Campaigns
Better idea management software often allows you to run challenges, often called "ideas campaigns" in which a manager posts a specific challenge and then people are invited to submit solutions. If you have such software, work with decision making managers to devise relevant ideas campaigns and run them from time to time. This paper by the late Arthur VanGundy goes into some detail about framing creative challenges.
If your software does not have an ideas campaign function, you should use the software and/or other communications channels to inform people what kind of ideas are wanted. This information, of course, will have been garnered from the decision makers you have spoken with.
Budget
Ideally, you not only want to approve ideas, but you want to provide a small budget to get started on approved ideas. US$1000 or a similar sum in your currency is probably a good starting sum as it is equal to the value of an iVision idea in development. If you can do this, ideally by getting a specific budget that is separate from other budgets, that is great. Decision makers will be far keener to approve ideas that bring money from outside their division, rather than having to tap into their own budgets. This will lead to more and faster approvals.
Test and Tweak
As people start submitting ideas, monitor the system closely. Are ideas being reviewed in a timely fashion, as you agreed with the relevant decision makers? Are submitters of ideas implementing their ideas?
If the system is not working to expectations, you need to review what has gone wrong and test solutions. If the reviewers are either not reviewing ideas or are rejecting too many ideas, you need to find out why, address the problem and monitor results.
One last note, a lot of innovation managers get hung up on participation levels with idea management software. This is a mistake. Pressing for higher levels of participation tends to encourage people to submit useless ideas in order to fulfill their obligations to submit ideas. Moreover, there are many ways to participate in innovation that do not involve submitting ideas through software.
Rare Gems
From time to time, bigger, iVision ideas will be submitted to your suggestion scheme. When this happens, invite the idea proposer to develop the idea into an innovation proposal that conforms to the processes you designed for iVision supporter and pusher ideas. If the idea owner lacks the wherewithal to do it herself, find a mentor to help her.
Communication
Needless-to-say, you will need to communicate to colleagues how they should use the suggestion scheme, what kind of ideas are wanted and how they will be evaluated. Some software allows you to do this, at least to some extent. Nevertheless, you need to communicate the revised suggestion scheme process across the organisation. I suggest you discuss the system with your internal or general communications manager in order to put together a communications plan.
Voilà
This is a relatively simple approach: just set up a system in which people are informed about the kinds of ideas your division heads seek, they can submit ideas, those ideas are quickly approved, ideally budget is provided and the idea submitter is then authorised to implement her idea.
Doubtless, you will initially need to oversee the system, but once it is established, it should largely take care of itself, giving you more time to focus on promoting innovation and the development of high value iVision ideas.
A bonus to this approach is that when people see their ideas are being taken seriously and that they have the wherewithal to suggest ideas they are keen to implement, there will be more enthusiasm about participating in your innovation initiative. However, be careful not to get overly caught up in this part of your innovation initiative. It is relatively easy to set up and maintain, but it results in comparatively low value ideas. Instead, you should focus on the higher value iVision supporter and pusher ideas and let this system take care of itself.
Worksheet questions
Download the worksheet: | OpenOffice format | MS Word format |
- Which decision makers do you need to work with?
- How will you communicate to colleagues about the revised suggestion scheme?
