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Simple Ideas Big Impact !

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Cycle of Respect

Almost every manager agrees that the person who knows the job best is usually the one doing it

Yet surprisingly few organizations sincerely ask their employees how to do the job better

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Cycle of Respect

When Supervisors and Managers neglect to ask for and implement improvement ideas they lose the opportunity to empower their workforce.

“An empty suggestion box or ineffective employee involvement program is a sign of a toxic culture. “

CEO Refresher

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A Dismal Failure?

Many organizations have tried a suggestion program.

Most have been complete failures.

Empty and dusty “suggestion boxes” dot the corporate landscape.

• Suggestions drop to trash can

• Fire Extinguisher to douse ideas

• Chair to wait for answers !

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An Idea Revolution !

Yet some organizations have made employee ideas one of their greatest sources of performance improvement.

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Some Successes - 2007

Company Employees Participation # of ideasAdopted

Net Savings

$ Per Idea

Grote Ind. Vehicle Safety SystemsMadison, Indiana

700 52% 236 $2,500,436 $10,595

LockheedMartinBethesda, Md

101 100% 136 $6,208,200 $45,648

GMLordstown, Ohio.

5000 87% 4224 $7,571,403 $1792

DubaiAluminumDubai, United Arab Emirates

2200 99% 8105 $1,557,000 $192

Statistics from EIA Employee Involvement Association

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The Value of Success

A survey taken by the Employee Involvement Association itemized these benefits reported by their member companies: Employee Engagement Safety and Quality improvements Cost Savings

The benefit ratio was almost 15 to 1

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Why isn’t everybody doing this?

Why do so few organizations actively seek their employee’s ideas?

Why are some organizations successful when most abandon the effort after only a few months?

The principles of a successful idea program are counter-intuitive

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The 12 counterintuitive principles of managing ideas

1)People are eager to contribute ideas – If someone will finally listen and act.

2)Small ideas beat “home runs” every time.3)Big rewards lead to big problems.4)Never link rewards with an idea’s savings.5)Don’t create a committee to evaluate every

idea.6)Involve the Supervisor as idea evaluator and

idea coach

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The 12 counterintuitive principles of managing ideas

7)Employees ideas should focus on their own work – not other departments & areas

8)Office areas offer fertile ground for improvement ideas

9)The more complex the operation the greater the importance of an idea system

10)Excellence depends on small ideas and wide participation

11)Emphasize participation and implementation over $ saved.

12)People value recognition over $.

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Virtuous Cycle

Ideas Submitted

Ideas treated with respect

Changes implemented

Recognition given

Improvements achieved

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Implementing an idea system

Web based Configurable to your needs Provides tracking and reporting Low cost Ideas can be submitted from any web

connected computer

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Common sign-on page for all participants

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Idea submission form

Customizable

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Supervisor idea evaluation process - part 1

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Supervisor idea evaluation process - part 2

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Supervisor idea evaluation process - part 3

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Detailed reporting is available to the administrator