Monday, December 2, 2013

Encourage Problem Sharing...but Always Bring Ideas with You

I love this article’s thoughts around ‘problem’ – “can bring any problem, as long as bring at least three ideas for a solution.” Encouraging sharing of challenges AND the ideas that surround them. And the ideas don’t have to be the best solution, just something to plant the seed. Many times these issues arise from those most involved with the work performed, yet they are so removed from the end source that it is hard for them to see a true solution. However, when you encourage them to share their ideas, you are getting end user feedback and insights that a ‘back office’ would never be appreciative of.

You ask someone why they perform a task the way they do and you get the answer “because I was told to” (often by a managing or senior person). This is NOT a bad answer, but perhaps the wrong question. Consider then if you asked the person next “if they could change anything about the process, what would it be an why.” If you’ve established some trust with this person, I’m sure they’ve envisioned many ideas on how to improve the process, create better quality while freeing up more of their time to innovate further.

How are you encouraging others to not just uncover areas of improvement but to encourage the generation of impactful ideas?
Read Adam Bryant's Interview with Jennifer Dulski, COO of Change.org, here.

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