Small Ideas = Results!

Are you shooting for the big idea?  Do you feel the only way to for your organization to move forward is to hit a grand slam?  This is but one counter intuitive aspect of employee ideas.  Your advantage is not the big idea, but rather the small ones - the incremental improvements.  Here’s why.

Big ideas are heavily advertised and therefore, easily copied.  Harder to copy is something your competition can’t see – because it is so small it is not on their radar.  A great example of this comes from the book “Corporate Creativity” by Alan G. Robinson and Sam Stern – regarding American Airlines – a mechanic demonstrated that that the company was paying two different prices for nuts that were used in two different airplanes.  One plane was using a nut that cost $1.19 each and the other was using a nut that cost $ .79 each.  The mechanic believed that the nuts were identical and further research showed that in fact they were.  Then end result of this small idea - $300,000 in annual savings!  Generate several ideas like this one and your company is in a better position than your competitor who is ONLY focusing on the big idea.  In addition, your competitor is not focusing on the $.40 you just saved on each nut – I guarantee it.  Therefore, it isn’t easily copied.

Your company’s competitive advantage resides in the heads of your employees. They hold the key!  They see 80 percent of all opportunities that results in improvements in how they do their job – streamlining processes, reducing costs, etc… that translates to the bottom line financially for your company.

Innovation is more than generating new products – it is also about how well your employees execute the great ideas they have!  This philosophy also works for smaller companies as well – listen to the employees and involve them in your desired outcomes – and your company will execute much better.

Idea Share Tip of the Month!

Communicate the value of the idea system to your employees and how the system can make you competitive in your industry.  Everyone wants to work for a winner – a growing and competitive company!

Frame of Mind Consulting understands the unique DNA of your organization, which is necessary to turn any organization into one capable of leveraging the full idea potential of its employees.  Would you like to drive connectivity and ownership throughout your company?  Contact Page at (860) 559-7942 to set up your complimentary consultation during which you will receive some invaluable tips that you can apply to your business right away.