What is Better for Innovation? Small Ideas vs. Big Ideas

It probably won’t immediately come in the form of just one big idea. Ideas focused on solving day-to-day workplace complications make up the first steps of large-scale innovation.

How to Encourage Small Ideas

• Small does not mean insignificant. Underline the importance of submitting quality ideas.
• Make it easy to submit ideas!
• Avoid lag in implementation. Approve the idea and start using it as soon as possible.
• Recognize employees for their contributions in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Offer ways for employees to grow their ideas.

How to Build Big Ideas

• Use your small ideas as stepping stones.
• Create a plan of action. Have clearly outlined steps for everyone to follow, and give them each a significant role to play.
• Encourage group innovation. Your employees can build on each other’s ideas to make major innovation more achievable.

Ideas both big and small are integral to improving organizational function. Use an innovation management system to collect the small ideas and build the steps to implement the big ones.

Suggested Next Steps:

• Companies of all sizes (from Fortune-500s to growing startups) use IdeaGlow software to build their own innovation management framework. IdeaGlow is affordably priced & relatively easy to implement. If you’re interested, you can apply for a FREE 30-day trial of IdeaGlow software.
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