CONTENTS
1 | THE POWER IN FRONT-LINE IDEAS
The Impact of Front-Line Ideas: The 80/20 Principle
Creating an Idea-Driven Organization
Why Are Idea-Driven Organizations So Rare?
Realigning the Organization for Ideas
Idea Systems and Innovativeness
2 | A DIFFERENT KIND OF LEADERSHIP
Why Leaders Are Often Blind to Front-line Ideas
3 | ALIGNING THE ORGANIZATION TO BE IDEA DRIVEN:
Strategy, Structure, and Goals
4 | ALIGNING THE ORGANIZATION TO BE IDEA DRIVEN:
Budgeting and Resourcing the Idea Process
Aligning Processes and Procedures
Aligning Evaluation and Reward Systems
5 | HOW EFFECTIVE IDEA PROCESSES WORK
The Electronic Suggestion Box Trap
6 | IMPLEMENTING A HIGH-PERFORMING IDEA SYSTEM
Step 1 Ensure the leadership’s long-term commitment to the new idea system
Step 2 Form and train the team that will design and implement the system
Step 3 Assess the organization from an idea management perspective
Step 5 Start correcting misalignments
Step 7 Assess the pilot results, make adjustments, and prepare for the launch
Step 8 Roll out the system organization-wide
Step 9 Continue to improve the system
7 | WAYS TO GET MORE AND BETTER IDEAS
Creating a Problem-Sensitive Organization
8 | FRONT-LINE IDEAS AND INNOVATION
Innovations Often Need Front-Line Ideas to Work
Front-Line Ideas Create Capabilities That Enable Innovations
Front-Line Ideas Can Transform Routine Innovations into Major Breakthroughs
Front-Line Ideas Can Open Up New Opportunities for Innovation
Setting Up an Idea System Removes Many of the Barriers to Innovation