[Imagination Club] Challenge: how might one motivate the publ ic to share ideas?

Thu Aug 9 09:59:07 GMT 2007

Dear All (esp. Annalie, Andy and Jeffrey),

I couldn't agree more with the recent sentiments of making idea generation
more relevant.

To work in an organisation where any and all ideas would be welcomed and
reviewed to see if they could be turned to an advantage would be wonderful;
but I suspect this is far from reality for many business people.

Ideas that are not obviously relevant to the organisation are more often
just
dropped or 'archived' for 'future reference'. As already described this
leads
to a downward spiral of rejection and disinterest in those suggesting the
ideas.

So, (sorry to be waffley) I think the whole thing does need turning on its
head.
Instead of asking for ideas, ask for challenges. Only then ask for
solutions.

Thanks all for making me look at things differently - even if it was
obvious!

Mark Crompton
UK

PS. to get your managers to begin to put forward challenges there is no
substitute for old fashioned leg-work. If you can, talk to the managers
direct
and sell them on the benefits of getting the whole organisation to solve
their
problems. I believe the trick (not easy) is to get the challenge/idea ball
rolling without too much fanfare. By starting low-key risks will be reduced
and
the managers are likely to accept it - even if only as a trial. If it works
then it can be promoted and financed more heavily.

So is there another challenge here? How do you reduce the perceived risk for
managers in buying-in to a challenge-setting and solving process?

-----Original Message-----
From: Annalie_Killian at amp.com.au [mailto:Annalie_Killian at amp.com.au]
Sent: 09 August 2007 00:04
To: Imagination Club
Subject: Re: [Imagination Club] Challenge: how might one motivate the
public to share ideas?

Andy- I run a corporate ideas management programme and I agree with you-
ideas in search of a problem are often a waste of lots of people's effort.

I am really interested in something I have been trying to get exexcutives
and managers to do for years- with little success- and that is to turn the
ideas capture tool around into a challenge dissemintor to which employees
can respond purposefully and know that someone is actually seeking ideas on
a subject and therefore open and listening.

I was interested in your work on "framing questions + challenges" and was
wondering if you could share some research, advice, good case studies,
books or anything in terms of how to elicit challenges from reluctant
managers + decisionmakers?
Annalie Killian (via Blackberry)
IT at AMP
Catalyst for Magic
+61401770406

    ----- Original Message -----

    From: "Arthur VanGundy Ph.D." [avangundy at cox.net]
    Sent: 08/08/2007 01:14 PM EST
    To: Imagination Club <imagine at lists.supertrade.com>
    Subject: Re: [Imagination Club] Challenge: how might one motivate the
public      to share ideas?

A brief clarifying followup to my previous email on 100 ideas
programs..and then I'll shut up on this!!

First, the states involved are not soliciting just 100 ideas, they
plan to select the 100 best ones to improve their states and publish
them in  book.

Second, Jeffrey notes that such programs could benefit from software
such as his Jenni program and I agree, the reason being that
processing large numbers of ideas requires a structuring format.

Finally, having an open-ended ideas campaign creates a situation of
"ideas in search of problems." That is, there is no attempt to first
identify, strategically, what challenges require creative ideas.
Instead, the user sometimes is left to infer what the challenges are
that prompted an idea.

Andy

On Aug 8, 2007, at 10:47 AM, Jack Thomas wrote:

> The public (citizens) will respond if they are made to feel that
> they have "ownership" and are responsible for the outcome.
>
> To motivate citizens, set up a public display board or web site
> that lists the names of each person who contributed ideas and also
> publish in the local newspaper.  Citizens whose idea(s) are
> implemented get a star by their name!!
>
>
> Jack
> NC, USA
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: imagine-bounces at lists.supertrade.com
> [mailto:imagine-bounces at lists.supertrade.com]On Behalf Of Jeffrey
> Baumgartner
> Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 11:37 AM
> To: imagination Club
> Subject: [Imagination Club] Challenge: how might one motivate the
> public
> toshare ideas?
>
>
> Challenge:
> In a public forum, you might a non-profit motivate members
> of the public to share ideas?
>
> Background:
> Several non-profits (charities, local governments, etc) are
> talking with us about setting up public web sites (using
> Jenni idea management) to solicit and capture ideas from
> the public.
>
> Bearing in mind that charities and local governments do not
> have big marketing budgets, how might they motivate the
> public to participate in these initiatives by sharing
> ideas?
>
> Ideas, like those in the Imagination Club, would respond to
> specific innovation challenges that would aim to help
> disadvantaged people, solve problems related to helping
> disadvantaged people, improve the local community, solve
> local problems, etc.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jeffrey Baumgartner
> Your Fearless Moderator
> --
> jpb.com
> Think more creatively ~ innovate more profitably
> http://www.jpb.com | Tel: +32 2 251 7725
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
> _______________________________________________
> Imagination Club is an e-mail based discussion forum for playing
> with ideas.
>
> You can read the Imagination Club archives at http://
> davie.textdrive.com/pipermail/imagine/
>
> To unsubscribe,  send an e-mail to imagine-
> request at lists.supertrade.com with unsubscribe in the message
> subject; or go to http://lists.supertrade.com/mailman/listinfo/imagine
>
> For more information, visit http://www.jpb.com/imagination/

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Imagination Club is an e-mail based discussion forum for playing with
ideas.

You can read the Imagination Club archives at
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To unsubscribe,  send an e-mail to imagine-request at lists.supertrade.com
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_______________________________________________
Imagination Club is an e-mail based discussion forum for playing with ideas.

You can read the Imagination Club archives at
http://davie.textdrive.com/pipermail/imagine/

To unsubscribe,  send an e-mail to imagine-request at lists.supertrade.com with
unsubscribe in the message subject; or go to
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For more information, visit http://www.jpb.com/imagination/
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