A few weeks ago we wrote about how everyone is an expert at something and how that even the smallest innovation can make a difference to an organisation. Toyota has been a leader in this thinking since its inception.
For over 70 years, the company has run its Creative Idea Suggestion System as a way to encourage employees to note problems they encounter in their daily work and come up with ideas for improvement. The system even accounts for ways to get supervisor support in implementing the proposed improvements and evaluating the result. Much of the success of this program stems from the attitude of supervisors in addressing employee suggestions. As Executive Fellow Oyaji Kawai explains in the Toyota Times article, “When you’re young, you can’t make big improvements. But changing the position of a trash can so you don’t have to walk around it is also an improvement. Supervisors need to take such suggestions seriously, too. Otherwise, that person will not make another”
Like most companies operating around the world, Toyota is a very hierarchical organisation, where supervisors are an integral part of this process.
A top down approach slows innovation down
We don’t think that innovation needs to wait for supervisor or executive approval. Some things do need approval but most innovations exist because an employee has found a better way to perform their daily tasks. And if everyone is an expert at something then it all adds up.
The trick is to encourage this innovation sharing in a non-confrontational environment. This is where the formalisation of peer learning into an INTRATERNSHIP programme comes into play. Employees entering into a learning arrangement with your employer, this does require a formal agreement because commitment is vital. A series of training committees are then established where a subject matter expert explains how they go about their tasks. Each person in the programme is encouraged to discuss this and offer improvements.
Corporate University
Think of this in terms of a Corporate University. Each company is in fact a University. The experience that each person gains in working in that environment contributes to their qualification from that University. In a standard academic institution a graduate is given a certificate confirming that they have completed the course or degree.
The INTRATERNSHIP certificate issued by RISE and the Corporate University does so much more, it confirms that the employee can do the work that they are hired to do but are also a crucial part of the longevity of that organisation through their innovative contributions.
Contact us if you need to start your own Corporate University.