How to Implement an Idea Management System

In an earlier post, we examined the enormous potential of an Idea Management System in powering organizational innovation. So, how do we go about implementing it? A roadmap is proposed hereby, using which you may operationalize an IMS in your organization.

Sponsorship & Active Support of Top Leadership

Experience from organizations which have sought to implement idea management systems show that the success of such idea initiatives is critically dependent on the priority accorded to it by the top leadership. The importance, benefits and need for this system would have to be communicated by the top leadership to all staff and employees on a regular basis. The intervention of the top leadership might be required also when the system faces major bottlenecks, which cannot be resolved at a different level.

The Chief Innovation Officer (CIO)

It is proposed that a Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) (or equivalent) may be appointed to systematically and strategically manage the organization’s innovation projects. The CIO may be entrusted with the core responsibilities of:

• Facilitating idea generation
• Providing support to managers in evaluating and selecting ideas for implementation
• Supporting promising ideas and best practices
• Helping managers and employees explore further potential of implemented or proposed ideas
• Monitor the idea process and help fix anomalies, to ensure the smooth functioning of the organization’s idea initiatives

The CIO need not necessarily be a full-time job; (s)he may hold other responsibilities as well. The CIO may be allowed to recruit a team to assist him in this role.

Tools & Processes

A judicious combination of tools and processes would have to be employed in order to ensure that idea management is effective and yields desired results. Keeping this in mind, the following tools and associated processes are proposed:

• Idea Factory: A simple web-based portal may be developed for documenting, sharing and developing ideas. The portal would be internal to the organization. The idea factory would enable users to perform the following functions:
  • Report an improvement opportunity and solicit ideas to utilize that opportunity
  • Submit ideas
  • Search for and view submitted ideas
  • Comment on and contribute to development of submitted ideas
  • Share lessons learned
  • View latest and overall summary of ideas and generate reports (this shall be of use particularly for top management)
• Idea Sheet: To start with, we may experiment with a very primitive form of the above – a simple Excel sheet of ideas. Even after the system gets established, this may be used in conjunction with the web portal.
• Idea Reporters: Not everyone would be comfortable or sufficiently equipped to use the web portal. Keeping this in mind, some staff members may be designated as ‘Idea Reporters’. Someone with an idea may contact this person and ask him to enter the idea into the idea factory.
• Idea Boards: Boards may be put up at convenient, accessible locations in different parts of the office, so that anyone may post their idea on the board. These too shall be entered by the Idea Reporters into the database (so that the database is the complete repository of all submitted ideas).
• Idea Meetings: Regular and frequent meetings may be held by the head of each team/unit. Every member of the team may be asked to come to the meeting with at least one idea for organizational improvement. The meeting may be used to collect these ideas, document them systematically and decide on further course of action.
• Idea of the Week/Month: These may be decided by the Chief Innovation Officer and publicized across the organization, as a means of providing encouragement and recognition to the employees for their ideas.
• Idea Fairs: These may be organized once or twice a year, to showcase the ideas implemented by the organization, to other stakeholders and at the same time provide recognition to employees.
• Idea Contests: These may be employed when the organization has to tackle a project or problem which is either novel or challenges organizational resources or has defied a solution for long.
• Idea Reports: The CIO’s team would be able to generate idea reports, which give a summary of organizational ideas. This would contain metrics such as implemented ideas, status of other ideas, ideas submitted by each team, ideas generated by each manager, etc. This can help the CIO to take appropriate corrective measures.
• Idea Autonomy: It is clarified that this system does not seek to upset the autonomy enjoyed by individual managers and teams. Though anyone in the organization would have the freedom to submit an idea for the team’s consideration, what it is to be done with that idea would remain the prerogative of the team entrusted with implementing it. However, it would be wise to furnish an explanation of why an idea is not being taken forward. This would help sustain the enthusiasm of idea suggesters and bolster collaborative mentality.
• Idea-friendly culture: Organizational culture is of paramount importance in ensuring the success of this system. Hence, the management at all levels needs to make it abundantly clear that ideas are not only welcome, but actively encouraged. Further, all employees who come forward with ideas need to be treated with due respect and dignity, so that even if an idea happens to get killed, the employee motivation is not.

It may be clarified here that all employees and staff may be encouraged to come up with ideas relating to any aspect of the organization. In other words, they should not be restricted to contributing ideas for their team or unit alone. Managed well, this can improve inter-departmental understanding, team spirit and have a salutary effect on organizational culture and performance.

Ideas can be of two types: an opportunity for improvement and a solution which can help improve something. Both are to be welcomed and encouraged.

Further, the dominant focus would have to be on small ideas. Experience bears it out that focusing on a large number of small ideas is the key to improving organizational performance. 

Hope this helps you, in accelerating innovation in your organization. In making it a high-performing and exceptional organization.

(Published originally on LinkedIn)

References:

1. Ideas are Free – Alan Robinson, Dean M. Schroeder 
2. The Idea Driven Organization - Alan Robinson, Dean M. Schroeder 
3. How to Manage Innovation as a Process
4. An Overview of Idea Management Systems 
5. Why Innovation matters 
6. http://innovation.govspace.gov.au/
7. http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/innovations/idealab
8. http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/innovations/IdeaFactory/