Come to each meeting with three ideas

Peter Drucker asked, when we were together a few years ago, 'How are the meetings at your company?'.

'Frankly', I answered, 'they're pretty bad - but meetings at all companies are.'

We started out simply, even a little clumsily, right after my meeting with Dr Drucker. When I sent out the agenda for a meeting that I would chair, I put down as item number one: 'Three ideas from each person about improving work, saving money or making money.'

Dr Drucker had suggested two, but the drive for continuing improvement provided a quick 50% productivity increase.

I expected most of our team at the first few meetings to be wary, unsure or shy about their suggestions. So, I turned up at the meetings with a stack of dollar bills and handfuls of candy to hand out. And I had a big gong and huge hunter's horn to salute the ideas as they were put forward. One strike of the gong was for a $1 idea, two strikes tolled for a $2 idea. Honks of the hunter's horn were for weak ideas - which were rewarded with candy. The honking didn't work, because it raised negative feelings, so now I use the gong and horn interchangeably. I also award at least $1 for each idea. That modest amount helps to create a bright, positive atmosphere.

As it became clear to all that ideas were welcomed with enthusiasm, the sterility of the typical meeting format disappeared. We still had our presentations, reports and comments, too - and it all gave way to an extraordinary flow of accomplishments.

Boardroom is now saving hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result of ideas generated by the people who work here. And, the company has laid the foundation of much, much greater growth in the future.

To keep improvement a continuous process here at Boardroom, we pay a great deal of attention to details.

First: We take all ideas seriously and don't lose track of them. Department heads are requested to ask for ideas at their own meetings. And we hold special lunches with groups of team members regularly, where the only subject on the agenda is coming up with ideas to improve a particular publication or company function. At every meeting, someone is assigned to take down each specific idea. We've also put a big top hat, marked I-Power, at a central spot in our main office, where people can drop in their suggestions.

We put every idea from every source on yellow post-its. That keeps the idea focused and the words simple. It also enables us to put six post-it ideas on a sheet of paper and photocopy it. Each Friday, I take a folder of such sheets home, I review each idea and rank it - A, B or C. (Or I jot down a question, or ask for more information, or note that the idea doesn't seem appropriate to work on right now.)

The essential second part of the I-Power program is feedback and reward. Everyone who submits an idea gets a response.

The team members who submit ideas that will not be acted on right now get handwritten notes of thanks for making a contribution. Some action is taken on every feasible idea.

Each week, we issue a report to all on the many suggestions that have been integrated into our operations. No idea is lost. We carefully keep a 'Pending File' with notes on who is working on the idea, what progress is being made, what obstacles are turning up - until the idea becomes an accomplishment. Each month, we distribute a report listing all the ideas accepted that month - and who submitted them.

- Every 'A' idea earns $10.
- The person with the highest number of A ideas in a month gets an additional $50.
- The best idea each month, selected by a committee of three managers, earn the winner two tickets to a show or concert.
- In the case of a big money-saver idea, we also make a special cash award.

It now takes us about 220 hours a week just to keep track of this flow of creative ideas and sound thinking about the work we do here at Boardroom, with no sign that the flow is drying up.

Martin Edelston, I-Power seminars, 55 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut 06836, USA, (tel 203 625 5920).