Tool 94: Idea Borrowing

AKA

N/A

Classification

Idea Generting (IG)

Tool description

The idea borrowing technique allows team participants to bring to the surface ideas from inside and outside the organization or through their own creativity. Team-established criteria is used to rate and select the top-rated ideas considered for implementing.

Typical application

• To surface best practices, technological innovations, and perceived good ideas.

• To supplement brainstorming and benchmarking activities.

• To stimulate the creativity of employees.

Problem-solving phase

→	Select and define problem or opportunity
	Identify and analyze causes or potential change
→	Develop and plan possible solutions or change
	Implement and evaluate solution or change
	Measure and report solution or change results
→	Recognize and reward team efforts

Typically used by

	Research/statistics
1	Creativity/innovation
2	Engineering
	Project management
	Manufacturing
4	Marketing/sales
	Administration/documentation
	Servicing/support
	Customer/quality metrics
3	Change management

links to other tools

before

• Information Needs Analysis

• Benchmarking

• Fresh Eye

• Wildest Idea Technique

• Mental imaging

after

• Idea Advocate

• Run-it-by

• Creativity assessment

• Why/how charting

• Presentation

Notes and key points

• Suggested idea selection criteria and scales:

  Source of Idea	Potential Use	Estimated Implementation Costs
  3 = Self (original)	5 = High	3 = Acceptable
  2 = Internal	3 = Medium	2 = Marginal
  1 = External	1 = Low	1 = Unacceptable

• To select the best idea, multiply columns Source Potential Costs. Rank ideas: highest total = best idea.

Step-by-step procedure

• STEP 1 The team facilitator reviews the idea borrowing technique with the team and answers any questions participants may have at this point.

• STEP 2 Participants silently list their ideas on provided paper. Ideas may be best practices, innovations, untried employee suggestions, benchmarking discoveries, and so forth.

• STEP 3 After some predetermined idea-generation time, the facilitator asks participants to share their ideas. All ideas are listed on a whiteboard or flip charts.

• STEP 4 The team discusses all ideas and, through consensus, identifies the top 15–20 ideas. The facilitator prepares a matrix containing this final list of ideas. See example List of Ideas to Upgrade Employee Training.

• STEP 5 Next, the team decides on a set of criteria and associated scales to be used to rate all ideas.

• STEP 6 All ideas are rated and ranked in accordance with the established criteria, as shown in this example.

• STEP 7 Finally, the team prepares a presentation for presenting the ideas to upper management.

Example of tool application

List of Ideas to Upgrade Employee Training

Description of Ideas

Source of Idea

Potential Use of Idea

Estimated Implementation Costs

Idea Selection

Total

Rank

Exchange and/or share trainers with other organizations

3

1

2

6

3

Ask employees to review the literature and present on contemporary topics

2

3

3

18

1

Make available internet access for technology update

1

5

1

5

4

Contract university faculty for special topic sessions

1

3

1

3

6

Engage recognized company subject matter experts to present on specific skill areas

1

5

3

15

2

Ask employees to team-develop their own training modules

2

1

2

4

5

Note: (1) Source	Potential	Cost
3 = self	5 = High	3 = acceptable
2 = internal	3 = medium	2 = marginal
1 = external	1 = low	1 = unacceptable

(2) Multiply columns: Source Potential Costs

(3) 18 highest total is best idea.