Why and how leaders should foster bottom-up ideas

The best ideas don’t always come
from upper management, sometimes it is the bottom-up ideas that can help put a
company on top.



Whether the next great bottom-up idea will make a positive impact on your company’s bottom line may depend on what procedures are in place to communicate such suggestions.



Ideas from the bottom can sometimes
be lost, especially if no process is in place to facilitate communication from
all levels of an organization.



If that next great idea is destined
to spring from the lower levels of your organization, can you be sure it will
reach the proper destination?



Here are five strategies to take to make
certain bottom-up ideas can rise to the top:



1. Have the right process in place



If you don’t have somebody
assigned to respond to suggestions , typically an executive or a person
in a management or supervisory role, it can be harder to facilitate
conversations that will keep ideas moving up the chain of command.



Having a point person will minimize
costs of the program and avoid possible redundancies or confusion that might
occur with multiple persons involved. This person can then prioritize the ideas
and steer them to the appropriate departments.



Without an established process,
ideas from the lower levels of an organization can get lost. Employees may think,
“I have this idea, but I don’t know who to turn to.” If your company has a
hierarchical top-down structure, it might be difficult or intimidating for some
employees to proceed.



A company culture that supports
bottom-to-top ideas and innovations from front-line employees can help
facilitate the process for the good of the organization.



2. Seek feedback from the front lines



Suggestion boxes are a common, easy step
many companies have in place. If you’re looking to solve a problem or cultivate
ideas from a larger collective, it is best to seek out the advice and not just
wait for it to come to you.



Management may be removed from the issues
at lower levels and may not fully understand the people, processes or
technology involved. By taking the time to seek
out and place value upon employee input , you begin to foster an environment that
openly encourages suggestions and ideas that move the company forward.



When solving a problem, cast a wide net.
Increasing the diversity of the talent you ask for help will only increase your
chances of receiving an innovative solution.



Be proactive in encouraging more engagement and ideas from employees. Communicate that they should speak up if they see something that needs to be addressed and that an open-door policy exists for constructive ideas and suggestions.



3. Be a good listener



While you want to hear all the ideas that
spring from the organization, it’s impractical to implement every suggestion.



It’s important for employees to understand
that their ideas are being taken seriously even if they are not implemented. Offer
appreciation for their effort in problem solving and moving the company
forward.



If employees think their suggested ideas are being
pigeonholed or ignored , then the process won’t work.



It is not a bad thing if the idea isn’t used, but you have to manage that two-way feedback mechanism, so it doesn’t feel like you’re not listening.



It’s a fine balance, but if you empower people, they will be more apt to utilize the system to the company’s advantage. And if a company doesn’t truly support empowerment it will most likely have a difficult time cultivating innovative ideas from its employees.



4. Make it part of the culture



There
will be turnover
within any organization over time, which makes it important to make sure the
process that facilitates bottom-up ideas remains in place.



The process should become a function of
the culture. It needs to be integrated within the organization and built into
the support system. If it becomes part of the culture of the organization, then
that process will stay in place through the inevitable transitions.



If it is ingrained, the process is less
likely to become isolated. As part of the norm, it can sustain the process and keep
innovative ideas flowing and enhancing the company’s prospects.



Google, for example, is very proactive in
soliciting ideas from across its 30,000-plus workforce. Employees are
encouraged to interact with management within or outside their specific areas
of expertise if they have ideas or suggestions. The system has produced
positive changes for the company and has been expanded in recent years as a
result of that success. Google also offers rewards for successful ideas.



5. Be prepared for setbacks



Sometimes ideas coming from lower levels
of the organization can backfire.



What may seem initially promising may
later prove to be unfeasible. For example, the costs of implementing the idea turn
out to be much more than originally estimated, then you have wasted resources.



Or an idea that works in the short term
but ultimately doesn’t align with
the company’s long-term goals may have to be scrapped.



Not every idea is going to pan out, but a
successful company will learn from mistakes and continue to encourage
innovation, empowerment and bottom-up ideas.



Potential of big benefits at a small cost



With the right program in place to
encourage bottom-up ideas your company can find ways to solve problems, cut
costs, improve productivity and foster
improved morale among employees who may otherwise feel isolated from the company’s big picture.



Employees already have a stake in the
company’s future. Further empowering them and encouraging greater involvement
can help the company grow.



And that is good for your business.



It’s proven that companies that listen to their employees tend to have happier, more productive employees. That often translates into higher profits for the company. If you’d like to know what else goes into a healthy company culture (and the benefits that go along with that), download our free magazine: The Insperity guide to company culture .