In previous posts on this blog, I have highlighted the importance of making it easy for people to put forward ideas. As long as a few simple rules are respected by the platform administrator, a self-perpetuating, evolutionary growth-path can be observed in which participant ideas decline in volume and increase in quality.
Having designed large-scale, bespoke innovation management platforms coupled with the added mandate of promoting the system and driving the culture, has made it easy to observe the way idea initiation behaviours mature and how much more well considered each idea becomes (provided the feedback is constructive and consistent).
We also observe a reduction in duplicated ideas as the community spends more time viewing others’ ideas and commenting or promoting the original idea rather than duplicating.
The graphic below illustrates the typical behavioural path that motivated participants tend to follow:
- I will use this tool to put forward all my great ideas
- I have had some constructive feedback &/or recognition for my creative effort
- I’ll put more ideas forward
- I keep getting feedback/R&R
- Taking time to reflect on quality of previous ideas
- I’ll do some checking before I submit my next idea (perhaps to reduce duplication, assess viability, do a reality check, etc)
- Quality of feedback/R&R improves as the quality of my idea increases, but I am submitting fewer ideas
- I have become better at identifying AND framing opportunities
This evolutionary path can only be successful if supported by robust R&R & Feedback mechanisms.
On a global scale, we can now have a serious conversation about Ideas being the new Safe-Haven commodity…stay tuned for my next post.
