photo credit: Philippe Put

In the spirit of my last post, Fact vs Assumption: The Story of Joe and the Magic Bullet, I’m going to assume (while unsubstantiated)….

…that you (or your organization) know that you don’t know everything.

…that you’re at least open to the thought that good ideas can come from sources other than you or the usual suspects you currently ask.

What I’m offering here isn’t meant to be the definitive list of rules for unleashing group genius, but a starting point for discussion. Let me know what you think.

Define the box you’re asking people to think outside of from the start.

What problem or problems are you trying to solve? It’s better when you ask for help on a strategic problem instead of a tactical one because the box is bigger (and you’ll likely get better participation and results).

Creating some ground rules doesn’t mean that you restrict input or creativity…you just have a real problem you want help with.

Have a process and be transparent about it.

Not all ideas are good ideas, including yours or mine. That doesn’t mean that people should leave demoralized after they invest time and energy helping out.

Let them know HOW all ideas will get a fair shake, and later on, explain why the idea or ideas you used were the winners. Be transparent. It’s all about communication.

Don’t just engage the usual suspects.

Common belief: I don’t think we’ll get any good ideas from [insert entry level position within your organization].

Alternative perspective: Really? Take, for example, customer service reps. They aren’t at the top of the org chart, but they are on the front lines daily, talking with current and prospective customers.

Common belief: We can’t ask our customers to help out with this. I don’t want them to know that we’re having trouble with [insert problem]. They may leave us if we do.

Alternative Perspective: Your customers both care about you and are smarter than you think – they probably already know the problem exists. Asking them for their help shows transparency and beats out silence or spin any day of the week (if you haven’t noticed, top-down communications is dead).

You can think of other groups to include…

Provide multiple ways for people to offer up their ideas.

I don’t know about you but I rarely get on-demand inspiration or ‘aha’ moments –ideas come to each of us at different times and in many different ways. Some of us feel comfortable sharing ideas in large group settings while others might have a good idea but prefer anonymity. Others may have the break-through concept you desperately need but can’t explain why it will work so they don’t want to share in front of others.

You can go ‘old school’ and collect ideas anonymously via folded pieces of paper in a fishbowl or you could take advantage of digital solutions like online surveys (i.e. Survey Monkey), feedback tools on websites (i.e. Get Satisfaction) or internal wikis (don’t be afraid – they don’t have to be complicated).

Honor your rules and update as needed.

Inviting others to help solve your problems may be new behavior for you or your organization. Tell people you are trying something new, and that you’re committed to figuring out how to do it right and well. Then, when you slip up, admit it and make it right. Engaging large groups is messy, unpredictable.but important business.

What have I missed? Do you have a story about a big idea from an unlikely source that changed your organization?