If you want to find a good idea, the starting point should be to have a lot of ideas. And the most modern way of gathering a lot of ideas is through a crowdsourcing software suite.It also means that everybody must accept that there is no longer such a thing as a silly idea. Everybody needs to be able to have an input and share their ideas, and they should receive meaningful feedback about this period every idea needs to be acknowledged. But none of that can happen, unless your employees are motivated to share their ideas in the first place.
A Crowdsourcing Software Suite Encourages People to Share
It doesn’t matter whether you are a tiny enterprise a huge Fortune 500 company, there is nothing more powerful to the overall innovation and improvement of a business than the ideas of employees. In fact, any business that has gone through significant success or achievements was able to do so not whilst their managers were brainstorming or the Board was meeting in the conference room, but rather when employees interacted with each other, with clients, and with management. They are the ones who understand what is happening at grassroot level. So they are the ones that could come up with the best operational, product design, customer service, and process suggestions. It is vital therefore, for a business to truly maximize on their employees’ engagement.
At the same time, it can be incredibly difficult to motivate employees to share ideas. This is understandable. They come from an organization in which the culture was likely a top-down hierarchical structure. Here, it is not encouraged or even appreciated to question management or to make suggestions for improvements. The only ones who can improve the overall organisation in those cultures are those right at the top. While most of us know that this approach no longer works, changing a culture is hugely difficult which means it is generally still in place.
However, it is needed. And thankfully, a lot of organisations at least say that they are promoting a culture of sharing and innovation. Unfortunately, it seems that this is lip service only. Research has shown 42% of people do not know where to go if they have an idea. 80% of those who do know and who have submitted an idea have never been rewarded for this, not even acknowledged. That is incredibly demotivating and will only make sure that employees stop sharing.
Providing incentives is key. These don’t have to be financial incentives. People are not driven by money only, businesses are. People are driven by recognition and pride. They want to know that if they said something, it is valued and appreciated. Even if their ideas aren’t implemented, they want to know that they were heard and that there is a reason why they weren’t implemented other than the fact that they are at the bottom of the hierarchical ladder. Get the incentive right, and you will be well on your way towards good innovation.