Where’s your next great idea?
Some of us may not be looking to strike out on our own with a business start-up, but great ideas are just as important for institutions that have been around for a while â like credit unions, which have been around for about 100 years.
The world is constantly changing. Consumers routinely demand different products and services as they adopt new technologies. To keep our organizations relevant, we need to keep new ideas flowing.
How do we do that? Forbes contributor Millie Tadewaldt discusses a few techniques that might be helpful.
- Problem spotting. List out your complaints of any product or service that isnâÂÂt quite working the way you think it should. This technique can work for your company as well. Think through the different offerings and ask yourself what could be tweaked to work a little better. Ask others as well.
- Creative swiping. Start with another companyâÂÂs idea and make it fit for you and your organization. Ideas donâÂÂt always have to be creative or original; just be sure to tweak them to fit your needs.
- Focused brainstorming. Tadewaldt recommends that a group of three to 10 people brainstorm new ideas. If you try this, let the ideas flow and write them down. This isnâÂÂt the time to be critical.
The Wall Street Journal recorded several entrepreneursâ tips on how they came up with their great ideas. They suggested: looking at whatâÂÂs bugging you, starting with practical problems, searching for a better way or process, thinking big, listening to people who know and letting your subconscious do the work.
How about you? Is it time to let some new, great ideas flow into your organization?