How to Get Employees Innovating

Waghorn, T. (2010). How one company gets its employees innovating. Retrieved March 16, 2010 from: http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/15/bayer-employee-innovation-leadership-managing-engagement.html?feed=rss_home

This article, posted under Forbes’ Leadership section of their website, describes how pharmaceutical giant Bayer AG has developed a system they call “Triple-i: Inspiration, Ideas, Innovation” that generates a great deal on innovative efforts from their employees. The company’s employees are invited to come up with innovative ideas for the company to consider and further develop if they are seen as promising. The company sifts through them and the most promising ones are sent for further research and development and possibly production. They believe that by keeping their employees creative juices flowing, the employees are benefiting from increased job satisfaction and ultimately the company benefits from that aspect and also by getting new ideas for future growth as well. To sift down to the best ideas, each has to pass a five-question test: Is the idea feasible? Is it really a new idea? Is there a need in the market? What is the benefit for the consumer? The last question is: Does the idea fit with the company’s focus, mission, and portfolio? This is an interesting article because it is important to keep employees involved and interested in their jobs and to utilize their creativity to benefit the company as well. Bayer AG is a large company with 108,000 employees, but a similar system would work in small companies as well.