What’s your system for compiling ideas?
Where do you compile your ideas? Where do your employees compile ideas?
- In a notebook?
- Online?
- In a computer file?
- On a voice recorder?
- In the “Suggestion Box?”
- You just Tweet or Facebook them?
Do you even bother to compile every new idea that comes to you? You should!
Everyone has ideas. Now unfortunately some people have so many ideas that they lose focus and sight of the projects and ideas currently in front of them.
A while back I developed the GET BACK ON TRACK BUCKET OF IDEAS. It has a two-fold purpose:
- When I lose inspiration (need an idea) on a current project I pull one of my ideas out of the bucket and see how that idea fits into the current project. If it doesn’t it goes back in the bucket and I draw another. All my ideas are on index cards.
- When I’m lost and don’t know what to do next (what is the next project; or what do I want to design next) I pull out an idea and see if that idea is still as exciting as the day it came to be. If not back in the bucket – or in some cases in the garbage when I have one of those “Rich, what the heck were you thinking” moments.
Here’s my bucket:
It’s nothing special. But way too many ideas are lost because no system for compiling them is in place. Come up with one that fits the personalities of your employees or your organization.
Employees become engaged when they implement new ideas. Customers become engaged when employees are excited about new ideas. Start your new idea system today. My idea compilation system was bought at the Dollar Store. You shouldn’t need a committee or a requisition to start an idea compiling system – just a little bit of creativity. But if you’re lazy send me a $10 bill to Rich DiGirolamo, POB 584, Marion CT 06444 or PayPal me (rich @ richdigirolamo dot com) $10 and I’ll design a system and send it to you.
