Capturing Peoples Ideas Ideas'UK 2005 Chester

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Capturing Peoples IdeasIdeas.UK 2005 - Chester

• Welcome!
• Jim Schwarz Presenter
• Jims_at_tqs-sim.com
• Total Quality Systems Software Inc. 928.527.0002
  www.tqs-sim.com

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Idea Scheme

• An employee (associate) idea process openly
  invites ideas from individuals or groups in an
  organisation.
• Each idea is treated with respect, fairly
  evaluated and every effort is made to work toward
  its timely closure, striving to implement every
  idea possible.
• Feedback and mentoring is invested with the
  participants so they can clearly define their
  ideas and the future ideas they develop.
• All people involved in the process are
  appropriately recognised and acknowledged for
  their efforts.
• Results of the process improve all aspects of the
  organisation and is a rewarding experience for
  participants.

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Contributing Factors

• Communication Clear and timely so participants
  know about the idea they are involved in. Also
  they need to know where the organization is going
  to generate new ideas.
• Training Tools - Correct creativity tools to
  resolve the problem. Plus training on
  communication skills and conflict resolution.
• Full Management Support
• Peer Support Working together to improve the
  workplace.
• Collaboration Share knowledge and enlist other
  peoples input.
• Appropriate Recognition and Awards Saying thank
  you in the right way strengthens the process.
• System to Manage Ideas On-line works best so
  ideas can be shared.
• Measure - Effectiveness of participants and link
  to Balanced Scorecard or other measures.
• Fair Process We cannot play favorites or allow
  people to undermine the process.

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Supporting the Process

• Commitment to Generate/Resolve Ideas? Do all
  the participants really want to be involved? If
  not, how do we get them committed? We need
  people coming up with useful ideas. Then as
  efficiently as possible review and implement
  those ideas ideally having the
  submitter/supervisor implement smaller ideas.
• Are We Truly Willing to Listen to People? Being
  open to new ideas is challenging. Are we
  committed to support people coming up with a wide
  range of ideas some great and some not so
  great? Some of their first ideas may also be
  very weak. Often the best ideas can cause huge
  conflict in the organization. We need to support
  idea generators and provide constructive
  mentoring.
• Where Are We? Participants need to clearly
  understand the current playing field so they can
  identify problems and or opportunities. This
  works much better if all rules are on the table
  and there are no hidden agendas (e.g., quality is
  important as a rule but in reality it is ship on
  Friday).
• Where Do We Want to Go? Where is the
  organisation going and more important the work
  areas(s) of the participants? With out a clearly
  communicated vision, people will head down the
  wrong path. With the right information,
  participants will search for a solution to their
  idea that fits current and future needs.

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ResultsReduced costs, higher quality, new
products, customer satisfaction, lower turnover
and a motivated workforce that works to make the
organisation succeed.
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Sources of Ideas

• Five Sources of
• Improvement Ideas
• Employee Ideas, Continuous Improvement
  Suggestions
• Staff/Management Ideas Continuous Quality
  Improvement (CQI) This focuses on management
  and staff positions, enlisting their involvement
  in organisational improvement.
• Employee Teams These can be self-directed,
  process improvement or corrective action.
• Customer Input or Complaints Ideally focusing
  on solutions. Customer issues can drive
  corrective actions.
• Supplier Improvement Ideas (Keiratsu) Enlisting
  suppliers to help with our processes.

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Core Elements

• Communicating Listening
• Goals/Strategies Ideas/Problem
• 
  Solving
• Recognition

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Types of Ideas
  Ideas the supervisor Cross-functional
doesnt have authority proposals that
may Larger Ideas do directly implement. require
significant (Innovation) resources to
review.     Ideas the submitter with Ideas
that make work Small Ideas their supervisor can
directly easier yet are not within (Kaizen) implem
ent. The goal is to the authority of the make
the work less complex. submitter or
supervisor. These ideas form the focus of a
Kaizen process.   My Job or Department Outside
the Department
 
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Discussion
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Why Ideas?

• Strategic goal
• Satisfy customers
• Safe
• Morale
• Quality
• Safety

• Our competitors are doing it
• We believe in our people
• It is the right thing to do

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What is important?

• Timeliness
• Fairness
• Results Senior Mgt
• Results Supervisors
• Results Participants
• Appropriate recognition awards

• Communication
• Sharing information
• Adding value to the organisation
• Collaborating teamwork
• Everyone has a voice

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Ideas

• Types of idea systems
• How they are recognised
• Restricted ideas

• How gathered
• How shared

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Barriers to success
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Conflict

• Idea programs and many EI processes will directly
  cause conflict as we resolve and improve the
  organisation. Are we ready to handle it?

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Imbedding in the Culture

• The true test of an idea or suggestion scheme is
  to be able to change culture and become part of
  it. Many without leadership supporting it would
  quickly die.

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Good luck!