ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
If you liked Ideas Are Free, and are interested in implementing a good idea system, here are some additional resources you may find helpful.
Corporate Creativity: How Innovation and Improvement Actually Happen, by Alan G. Robinson and Sam Stern, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998.
Based on an extensive study of innovations and improvements in organizations around the world, this book debunks popular myths about creativity and shows how it actually occurs in organizations. Full of real-life examples, the book identifies the six essential elements of corporate creativity that managers at any level can use to turn their people’s creativity from a hit-or-miss proposition into something consistent that they can count on.
It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, by Michael Abrashoff, Warner Business Books, 2002. The inspirational story of a Navy captain who was given the worst ship in the U.S. Navy, and who within three years turned it not only into best ship in the Navy, but the all-time record-setting one in terms of the Navy’s performance measurements. One of his main secrets? Listening to his crew -- implementing their ideas and solving the problems they identified to him. This book documents the resulting turnaround in performance and culture. And if you work in government or in a not-for-profit, and wonder what the effect of an idea system might be in your organization, or even if one is possible at all, this will be an eye-opener for you!
Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment, by William C. Byham with Jeff Cox, Fawcett Books, 1998. A delightful and creative fairy tale about a typical company with a demoralized and cynical workforce that is completely turned around when a middle manager learns to see in the twelfth dimension – the dimension that reveals how people really feel. He discovers the secrets of how to empower people through delegation, and witnesses a tremendous improvement in quality, productivity and employee engagement. This easy evening’s read delivers truly practical take-aways.
The Power of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini, Kantola Productions. This 55-minute video is an excellent introduction to the art of persuasion. If you have a case to make to someone, how can you make that case to significantly increase the chances that the other person will say “yes” to you. Very useful when your people need to convince others of the merits of a good idea.
Meetings, Bloody Meetings and More Meetings, Bloody Meetings, atsmedia.com. Two of the most widely watched management training videos in the world. Starring John Cleese, the videos communicate the essentials of running productive meetings. Since any serious improvement effort involves meetings, the better you are at running them, and pulling out people’s ideas, the better your overall effort will go.
Everyday Creativity, a video with Dewitt Jones, Star Thrower Distribution. A quick and powerful demonstration (less than 25 minutes) by one of National Geographic’s top photographers of some simple things you can do to make yourself more creative. Once you have an effective idea system in place, show this video to your employees to help them come up with more and better ideas.
Put the Learning Organization to Work: Learning After Doing, a Harvard Business School Video. Narrated by David Garvin, a Harvard Business School professor, this video demonstrates the U.S. Army’s After-Action Review (AAR) technique, a simple yet powerful tool to identify problems and solve them.
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