Every company that claims to be innovative must surely have an excellent suggestion system to receive the dozens of ideas its employees come up with everyday when dealing with the company's real problems.
Is it worth having a formal system, or is it enough for those who rule to be with their ears open to the suggestions by those who obey?
The almost-impossible-perfection would be to set a system that would work without any type of control, only based on people's interests/motivation.
I can't imagine how to keep such a think functional and operational, especially in companies with many employees. It would be a lot easier to organize a practical system with non-sophisticated controls, which motivates employees, not too toilsome to employers, and which delivers results!
The natural tendency of every person who enters an organization is to call the attention of colleagues and bosses to something the person considers to be wrong or could be improved. However, the tendency is that their idea is unfortunately almost never considered, it simply dies in one of the steps it goes through from the moment it comes to be to when it is implemented. And its creator, after some time, realizes it's not worth bothering others with suggestions - and stops.
At this moment the innovative company takes a step backwards...
The first and vital attribute of a suggestion system is to keep people motivated to contribute and challenge things as they are, considering alternatives; a company shouldn't waste this vast source of creativity.
Before thinking of shows, colorful pin boards, ballot boxes scattered all over the company and prizes in cash for the best suggestions... try to make one ballot box available and spread the news that the ideas put there are all considered with seriousness and quickly dealt with.
Suggestions will appear consistent, over time, and you'll say the ballot box works!
It is a small miracle, which appears naturally via the use of a precious control item, connected to the intended result - and effective for its management.
Don't worry about measuring the number of suggestions per month.
Measure only those many suggestions which are:
- either with a longer than 15 days response delay from the moment it was created; (responses in this situations are: approved and scheduled to be carried out; still under assessment, but with a scheduled date for an answer; not approved and justified as such;)
- or with a longer than 15 days response delay after one of the promised dates.
Keeping this indicator under control will make the number of suggestions per month be a mere natural and stable consequence of this measure.
Action Plan, KPI Management, Strategy Execution
The almost-impossible-perfection would be to set a system that would work without any type of control, only based on people's interests/motivation.
I can't imagine how to keep such a think functional and operational, especially in companies with many employees. It would be a lot easier to organize a practical system with non-sophisticated controls, which motivates employees, not too toilsome to employers, and which delivers results!
The natural tendency of every person who enters an organization is to call the attention of colleagues and bosses to something the person considers to be wrong or could be improved. However, the tendency is that their idea is unfortunately almost never considered, it simply dies in one of the steps it goes through from the moment it comes to be to when it is implemented. And its creator, after some time, realizes it's not worth bothering others with suggestions - and stops.
At this moment the innovative company takes a step backwards...
The first and vital attribute of a suggestion system is to keep people motivated to contribute and challenge things as they are, considering alternatives; a company shouldn't waste this vast source of creativity.
Before thinking of shows, colorful pin boards, ballot boxes scattered all over the company and prizes in cash for the best suggestions... try to make one ballot box available and spread the news that the ideas put there are all considered with seriousness and quickly dealt with.
Suggestions will appear consistent, over time, and you'll say the ballot box works!
It is a small miracle, which appears naturally via the use of a precious control item, connected to the intended result - and effective for its management.
Don't worry about measuring the number of suggestions per month.
Measure only those many suggestions which are:
- either with a longer than 15 days response delay from the moment it was created; (responses in this situations are: approved and scheduled to be carried out; still under assessment, but with a scheduled date for an answer; not approved and justified as such;)
- or with a longer than 15 days response delay after one of the promised dates.
Keeping this indicator under control will make the number of suggestions per month be a mere natural and stable consequence of this measure.
Action Plan, KPI Management, Strategy Execution
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