What can you do to increase your team's idea sharing?

More often than not, new ideas tossed by team members may not be a perfect fit or it may well seem irrelevant. However, it has been proven time and again, generating ideas is a process and not a moment of epiphany. Typically > Ideas are tossed by an individual or a team > it goes through a process of validation and counter arguments > With every counter argument and validation, the idea evolves > Finally, the idea may have taken a shape totally different from the original ones. In order to facilitate such a process, leaders should create an atmosphere where team members feel encouraged to toss ideas, even apparently bad ones, make mistakes and learn. And more importantly they should be encouraged to challenge the leader.

The best way to get everyone sharing ideas is to make the effort part of an ongoing routine. When you have regular monthly performance meetings, keep a 'spotlight' section of the presentation for teams to share hits and misses. This way it is part of a regular routine and not something that a manager is trying to contrive. If a specific team doesn't have a contribution that month, they can skip and go the next month. Better that way than to have teams think they have to 'make something up for the deck'.

-Increase team meetings -make a happy environment for the team -promote cross-functional work -team building activities -Make no hierarchy system

The primary and essential factor in encouraging team members to express their thoughts and opinions is to establish a culture of psychological safety. This entails creating an environment where individuals feel their voices are valued and their contributions are appreciated. It is crucial to foster an atmosphere where team members feel free to express themselves without fear of judgment or negative criticism.

Algo que ha funcionado en los equipos que he dirigido ha sido generar una alianza dentro del equipo, que todos los miembros entiendan las reglas no escritas y trabajar sobre los factores de productividad y positividad. También hacer un análisis de la metacomunicación que se da dentro del equipo y observar la dinámica de las reuniones, quiénes se inhiben, quiénes ocupan la mayoría de las conversaciones, si hay alguien a quién se le de menos voz, si hay robos de ideas.. Con dinámicas de reuniones inclusivas se consigue que la inteligencia colectiva del equipo crezca exponencialmente

A shared vision and purpose is important but feedback and input from the team is what will make it a 'shared vision' and mould it to be what the team are working towards. This will motivate and having Ownership of what's being done will encourage the team.

This is the real "Art of Successful Leadership"! A great way, I use often, is letting the team define the goals on their own. Risky? Not really. If you know your team well, you will be surprised how many times they come up with exactly the same goals you would have defined. But there is a big difference between you communicating the goal or the team choosing a goal. When teams are allowed to choose and define their goals they will have a personal commitment and the goal becomes automatically shared. Try it out! You will be amazed by the result!

Encourage collaboration from your team into establishing the purpose and evolving the vision, and ensure that they see that it is the best idea that wins rather than the executive who overheard the best idea that wins.

As a Scrum Master and a servant leader, I remove impediments from my team and in the Dailys I create a space for sharing new ideas and solutions. In Jira, team management software, there is a field for each team member to bring a new idea with automation renewed every day.

A growth mindset is important and by setting the example as a leader it will encourage the team to have one too. Lessons are just as important as wins the foremost creating a safe space to discuss them is also important.

"Leading by example" is baseline to cultivate a growth mindset. As a leader you should start by cultivating the celebration of success. Even "small" and "quick" wins can be celebrated regularly. Then give regularly positive feedback when good things are happening a great work has been done. Those are small things, but they have a massive impact on cultivating a growth mindset.

Embracing the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work opens doors to continuous learning and resilience. You should welcome feedback as a tool for improvement and see the success of others as inspiration, rather than a threat. Cultivating this mindset encourages a love for learning and propels individuals to embrace innovation and adaptability. In organizational settings, a collective growth mindset becomes a catalyst for collaboration, creativity, and a culture that thrives on continuous improvement. By fostering a growth mindset, individuals and teams can navigate change with agility and unlock their full potential, leading to sustained success and fulfillment.

Vulnerability is a great tool for bonding and learning. Regardless of position, share feedback that you once received in your career/life, and how you used that opportunity as a launchpad for growth. If we are observant, we'll spot endless opportunities in every day dealings that we can grow from. Humanizing the growth process can help your team let the walls down and help the learning experience feel more interactive and collaborative rather than judgmental.

A provocative viewpoint on leading by example when sharing ideas in the workplace could be that it risks stifling creativity. Some argue that a leader's approach may inadvertently become the dominant or expected method, discouraging diverse thinking. However, proponents suggest that a strong example can provide clarity and guidance, fostering a cohesive team vision. What are your thoughts on balancing leadership influence and individual creativity?

The ultimate key to success is definitely leading by example. You team is permanently observing you. So think about what image or message you would like to transmit when they look at you or when they listen to you. Creating a orbit of confidence between your team and yourself is also very important to increase the idea sharing. If team members are afraid of you, or of your reactions, they will never share... It can be a big advantage for a leader to have a certain knowledge of body language, especially the positive body language. Last but not least, when leading by example you need to do this constantly... Every day, every month, every year.... This is the only way to have the necessary credibility within your team.

A team Is always watching a leader in anything they do therefore setting the example is the best way to lead. It will also inspire the team as well when they are being encouraged to grow and continuously learn.

I also agree that leading by example is a life-long attitude, and that some leaders simply prefer to influence the team not in the sense of promoting ideas, but simply by aligning the ideas of others with their own opinion. I think to truly increase idea sharing, a leader should actually lead by example, and that includes sharing his ideas and opinions only after each team member has given his contribution. In doing so, he must underline that this is his only his honest personal point of view and recognize the joint effort, eventually asking to also take this contribution into consideration for further discussion.

Encouraging your team for ideas and feedback is important in any workplace and having different methods is encouraging. It also comes down to the culture as well.

1️⃣ Psychological Safety: Create trust, embrace failures, value diverse perspectives for a safe idea-sharing space. 2️⃣ Shared Vision: Align around common goals, celebrate achievements, involve the team for ownership and motivation. 3️⃣ Diverse Opportunities: Use various platforms—brainstorming, surveys, forums—to encourage diverse perspectives. 4️⃣ Cultivate Growth Mindset: Instill a belief in continuous improvement, embrace challenges, foster curiosity for creative problem-solving. 5️⃣ Lead by Example: Openly share ideas, actively listen, champion initiatives. Support diverse opinions to inspire free idea exchange. 🔄 Balanced Leadership: Find a middle ground for clarity without stifling individual creativity.

Rewarding idea sharing can be a very interesting method to consider. Rewards are important to team members and can motivate certain people to increase their participation. Imagine you make a monthly competition and the "best idea of the month" gets a nice price.

Adding to some already great comments. Run workshops to boost creativity. Ask the question: what can we do better ? How would be do it? Have a hack week- let the teams highlight and propose solutions As a manage your also shouldn’t and don’t have all the answers- trust your team and give them space to make choices

Encouraging your team for ideas and feedback is important in any workplace and having different methods is encouraging. It also comes down to the culture as well.