Inspire Your Team to Share Ideas and Offer Opinions

Word on the street has it that Newt Gingrich wants to have a permanent base on the moon by the year 2020. And then when it holds enough people, he suggests it should apply for statehood.

Wildly creative, some say. Just wild say others. Regardless of whether or not Gingrich will be the Republican nominee or even have a chance to implement his idea, at least he isn’t afraid to throw his ideas out there.

Can you say the same about your team? Are they willing to dream up new ideas? As a small business owner, there are steps you can take to encourage your employees to share ideas and offer their opinions.

Set the Proper Tone

Set the proper tone means creating an environment that embraces open discussion about new ways of doing things. For Cameron Hughes, founder of Cameron Hughes Wine, that means creating a “nurturing environment, one where people feel safe in saying what they think.”

As Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas suggests in the January 23, 2012 CBS MoneyWatch article “5 reasons employees aren’t sharing their ideas,” to encourage employees to open up and share their opinions and ideas, “you need to create an environment where things that are new and different aren’t immediately rejected and mistakes are not the end of the world.”

Communication is Key

Whether your idea-generating program is formal (such as a suggestion box) or informal, make sure that employees understand the proper way of communicating their ideas – at staff meetings, in writing to their supervisor, or another process.

All ideas should be reviewed and addressed. Good and bad ideas should be acknowledged and appropriately critiqued. To encourage employees to continue sharing their ideas, communicate the outcome of each suggestion.

However, communication goes both ways. Many employees may feel reluctant to open up at first. So as a small business owner, entrepreneur or company leader, your role is to encourage communication by asking for their input and opinions. Hughes says that when managers are actively engaged, employees feel better about sharing their ideas.

Reward and Recognize Employees

This does not mean you have to pay employees for their ideas, though cash does go a long way for many workers. It does mean you need to reward them. This might include a pat on the back, a shout out at the next staff meeting or a gift certificate to their favorite store.

While all ideas require encouragement and support, even if they are not implemented; quality ideas that are put into action – those that save the company time and money – should be held out for special recognition. Keep in mind that one of the best ways to recognize an employee is by implementing their idea, especially if it is utilized by an entire department or company.

Okay, your team might not come up with anything quite as far-out as colonizing the moon. However, with the right environment and a little encouragement, they may just solve a long-standing business problem or discover your next break-through product.

SOURCE: www.secondact.com