Innovation and Ivanka

Society is ever evolving and successful businesses need to practice continuous innovation to meet shifting demands. For that reason progressive companies have turned to idea management software and innovation management platforms to help them navigate this new terrain.

Now, when someone says idea management software, many people still equate that with a Suggestion Box – essentially an easier, and now electronic, way to collect ideas; an improvement on the traditional wooden box (which was made even better with a piece of paper and pencil lying beside it – good idea #1 😊).  

The early boxes had a slit in the top, but they only began to have real utility when some nameless genius suggested that they also should have little doors, so that the scraps of paper in them could be cleaned out once in a while (to this day, nobody knows how that suggestion was actually read).  

So, the boxes were everywhere like this one below at the early days in Amazon.

Here we see Ivanka (pictured) inserting the idea that all the IT systems that Amazon need, and are a major cost, ought to be turned into a Service and a profit centre, called AWS, and thus make money, not cost money. We do not know if Ivanka got recognition for her idea.

Ivanka sensed that what became to be known as idea management could be so much more than just a static place for dynamic ideas. By the way, Ivanka’s earlier idea (when she worked at 3 M was that they combine the glue they made with little bits of paper they sold (bookmarks) and use them for ideas and reminders stuck on the typewriter or the big ledger books.

Here we see her again posting her idea.

It was rejected of course!

Just because she was a snazzy dresser didn’t mean that her ideas were worth listening to! What need could that idea possibly serve! So, senior management repeatedly said No.

“Much better to keep producing our bookmarks; people will always have to read books made of paper, and they will need paper bookmarks,” - her boss authoritatively told her. It took more than 10 years for Post-it notes finally to be marketed as a product.

Last year something like 4 billion were sold.

Time passed.

New ways about idea management tools were under consideration. Could Idea Management be re-imagined with more consideration of others’ needs and their situation uppermost?  Could it do the full job that had to be done, namely: discover, explain, share, refine, evaluate, execute, track and report on ideas from anyone and anywhere at any level of a company.

Woah, that was a mouthful!

Let's break that down a little, shall we?

We designed Consideration with certain principles in mind and we put the focus on the idea itself, not just where it might be sent and how it might be treated when it got there. So, there were 3 messages that must be clear:

(1) Innovation = Satisfying unmet needs. That’s the plain and simple job an idea must do.

(2) Ideas have the right to be clearly explained. They are not always self-evident.

(3) People explaining those ideas need feedback on them because Feedback and considerate criticism are the lifeblood of Innovation.

At Consideration we have learned that every company is brimming with Ivankas (and Ivans).

These are people with ideas who will appreciate being offered a better way to write them down; a better way to explain them; a better way to describe struggles and problems and their solution’s desired outcomes and benefits.  And to do so in a way that invites conversation about improvement and execution (of the idea, not the author 😊). This is very important since in practice, people don’t “buy” a good idea, they buy that it can be done – that it can be implemented with real gain for all concerned.

Thanks Ivanka, we know ideas can get ignored or neglected.

Here is where Consideration stands out from other idea management software in the market.  We make explaining and sharing an idea enjoyable, not something that is done with trepidation.

Plus, in Consideration it is clear that the idea is the beginning of the journey, not the end of the affair. Ideas do not appear in Consideration like perfectly formed snowflakes! They are there to be incubated!

In Consideration, the oxygen of conversation, critiques, insight and experience are added which result in reaching agreement and co-creation of solutions. This is the key to Getting to Yes much faster. 

It is this Culture of Contribution that is the goal for successful managers; innovation and continuous improvement follow.

The Job to be Done by our Process.

Our Solution satisfies the need to be able to Persuade; to satisfy the need people have to be able to think deeply and carefully about an improvement, always with others’ needs and circumstances in mind. 

Consideration is first and foremost about asking the right questions and doing so in the right order! Relevant, guided questions – asked one at a time - help idea authors work through their idea.

The questions are kept conversational to encourage more user engagement. Additional contextual questions and tips that help clear thinking about the core question are also provided.

Why is that?

Because that’s like an idea author having a coach: a team leader or a manager by his or her side, enthusiastically prompting explanation as they write down their thoughts.

This is done in a structured and very user-friendly way, delivered one page at a time; enabling focus and concentration.

We know the importance and the power of ideas that are well explained. And, therefore, well understood.

To take this process a step further - we enable all “stakeholders” to share their feedback on the idea, especially on those aspects of the solution they are most familiar with - the "structured criticism" we mentioned earlier.

This is easy to do because of the systematic way that an idea and its desired outcomes are presented. In addition, feedback received can itself be rated or supported or augmented as part of a natural and iterative conversational process. Consideration idea management software creates a framework that allows for just that.

Thinking is linking

A couple of things to say about the thinking behind Consideration, to underline that you are not competing against luck:

First, we do not believe that the best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.  To brainstorm in a vacuum, where people are unaware of unmet needs, is not a productive plan. There is no causal link between quantity and quality.

The best way to innovate is to be like Ivanka. For her, Thinking is Linking. Innovation is fundamentally based on a Need people have that is not being satisfied. Once real needs are identified, then the ideation process is much more than someone simply striking it lucky.

Secondly, innovation can be incremental.

At Toyota it was suggested that it’s better to improve 100 things by 1% than one thing by 100%. That’s because when you do that, 100 people or 100 teams are involved. And a climate of Teamwork is a pre-condition of sustainable innovation. Co-creation of all clearly explained ideas put forward, results in up to 80% implementation! It is not documented who wrote that idea down.

The Consideration Method

The Consideration method is very simple and can be easily embraced by every manager. Consideration frames both strategic or departmental problems as Challenges; these are launched by managers and cover core subjects: work and employee welfare; customers, suppliers, company governance mental health etc.

Consideration doesn't stop at workplace improvement.

As we all know, there’s more to life than work.

Conversations about workplace innovation are vitally important, but so are conversations that go beyond work. As workers we are citizens as well as employees. It is as humans that we make up the workforce and as such, we are connected by a Social Contract as well as an employment contract.

For that reason, Consideration may be thought of not only as a Process but also a Movement; a movement that encourages and delivers engagement that goes beyond the product we make or the service we provide; that encourages conversations that help us learn new things and expose us to new ideas, assisting a company to become a Learning Organization, a Force for Good and a Driver of Change - within and outside of work. 

What we call Sessions are a particular type of Challenge. Conversations in Sessions go beyond boosting productivity and instead work to connect employees with a higher purpose, need, or truth. They educate, entertain and inform.

Not only can this build relationships within the company, but it also pushes thinking outside the box. What both these features within Consideration do is to create a Culture of Participation in the workplace.

By encouraging employees to get involved in productive dialogues they can explore more ideas and are more likely to create more opportunities for growth. It is an engaging way to focus on an issue and solve problems inclusively and within your work ecosystem.

We encourage you to check out the free trial and use the platform for real. – for as long as is necessary!

Because we know that once you’ve experienced the power of explanation and consideration, you’ll know that conversational Idea Management is not just a nice to have.

It is a necessary tool which, in utilizing the brains of your Ivankas, will ensure that the future of your company is in good hands for decades to come.