[Imagination Club] CHALLENGE: Selling an idea in your company

[Alka Puri]

One of the ways which I've found working for me, is to talk to a couple of 
senior managers, try and figure out a few problem areas they keep struggling 
with regularly, and then do a 'mini-session' with a small group where the 
power of ideation (using the right techniques) can be clearly demonstrated, 
using those problem-areas. Managers get very charged when they see things 
themselves. (You can charge a token fee if you want, that depends.)
I also communicate upfront about 'empowering' the employees in the long run, 
versus being a 'know-it-all' outsider who comes in and gives instructions.
 All the luck.
Alka Puri

 On 8/30/05, Jeffrey Baumgartner <jeffreyb at jpb.com> wrote: 
> 
> CHALLENGE
> 
> This challenge is about selling an idea internally in a
> company (see background below).
> 
> I think an Imagination Club would be a great tool inside a
> large, multi-national organisation. It would allow people
> to explore ideas, push creative thinking, collaborate on
> concepts and much more. It would help people network,
> discover expertise and get to know their colleagues across
> the world. It would not replace an idea management or
> suggestion system. Rather it would focus on very
> speculative creativity and networking. It would also be
> less structured.
> 
> The actual cost of setting up an imagination club would be
> entirely about staff time. The software for managing such a
> forum is freely available and most companies' IT
> departments could set up the forum in no time.
> 
> The main issue is to get top management support for running
> an Imagination Club.
> 
> How would you convince your company (or a large company
> like Ford Automotive, for example) to implement an
> Imagination Club?
> 
> BACKGROUND
> 
> One of you recently remarked that selling an idea
> internally to a company is a major creative challenge.
> (Unfortunately, I've forgotten who made the post and in
> what context it was - sorry!)
> 
> That's very true. Having great ideas is one thing
> (especially for a creative person like you), selling them
> to senior management can be quite another (unless, of
> course, you are senior management).
> 
> Looking forward to your ideas!
> 
> Jeffrey Baumgartner
> Your Fearless Moderator
> 
> (NOTE: No, I am not intending to sell the imagination club
> concept. It's free! I simply thought it would be a good
> example)
> 
> --
> Helping businesses innovate better
> www.jpb.com <http://www.jpb.com> | Tel: +32 2 251 7725 | GSM +32 478 549 
> 428
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Imagination Club is an e-mail based discussion forum for playing with 
> ideas.
> 
> To unsubscribe, go to http://lists.supertrade.com/mailman/listinfo/imagineor send an e-mail to 
> supertrade-request at lists.supertrade.com with unsubscribe in the message 
> subject.
> 
> For more information, visit http://www.jpb.com/imagination/
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://davie.textdrive.com/pipermail/imagine/attachments/20050831/deebb473/attachment.htm