Amidst immense global and societal change, it is clear that citizens around the world are expecting more from their governments. Never has this increased expectation been more clear than in the wake of the Ebola crisis. Healthcare professionals, lay citizens, and politicians alike are all raising serious concerns about public healthcare systems and their perceived inefficiencies. In the face of the global Ebola » Read More
Not long ago, the owner of a medium sized software development firm asked me a very good question. “How does a high performance idea system work in a project environment where every project is different?” We discussed that in a project-based company like his there were lots of processes that could be improved, but his question made a good point. A project environment does have unique challenges for a high » Read More
I used to play a game with my daughters when they were younger. Whenever we stayed in a hotel or motel, we tried to see who could figure out the quickest if it had a good idea system. It usually didn’t take longer than 15 to 20 minutes. Most often, it would be because we found an obvious problem that front-line employees were all aware of, but had been unaddressed. One time, for example, we drove up to Montreal » Read More
Have you ever been frustrated when your sticky note didn’t stick? When a note loses its adhesiveness too quickly it is often because it is not a genuine 3M Post-it Note. Why can’t competitors match the original after all these years? The answer lies in small ideas. A while ago I had the opportunity to talk with Art Fry, the 3M scientist who came up with the original Post-it Note, and ask him about the reason » Read More
Welcome to the Idea-Driven Organization blog. We believe there are few things with more potential for improving an organization’s performance than ideas from its front-line employees. Every day, front-line employees see many problems and opportunities that their managers don’t. They have plenty of ideas to improve productivity and customer service, to offer new or better products and services, or to enhance » Read More