The Ideas-to-Action Story:
How a Simple Insight Sparked a Better Way
More than thirty years ago, a sweltering July day in Tokyo set me on a path to unlock the secrets of Japanese quality. Inside a windowless conference room, I learned about a remarkable system: continuous improvement and innovation driven by employee ideas.
My experience sparked a fundamental question: Could this approach be adapted for other cultures? Thus began my quest for a simpler, faster, and more effective way to empower employees as drivers of change, not merely passengers along for the ride.
This journey led to the development of Ideas-to-Action Process and a suite of practical solutions for helping leaders unlock employee ideas and rapidly transform that wisdom into measurable results.
From Frustration to Breakthrough:
Rethinking Employee Engagement
Back in the U.S., I worked to implement TQM, Six Sigma, and Lean methods. But these initiatives often stalled at the frontlines. I realized that long presentations, complex training, and cumbersome processes weren't connecting with employees.
Then, a comment from a Toyota supervisor I met in Japan echoed in my mind: “Your workers have ideas, and they are not afraid to speak up. The difference is that we make it easy for our team members to share ideas because we recognize their profit potential.”
His words resonated; it wasn't about complex systems or massive investments. It was about leaders committing to a simple truth about employee motivation: people invest in what they own, not what’s merely rented to them.
That was it! We needed to start where the energy is for employees—their ideas.
Five Foundational Leadership Beliefs to
Fuel Employee-Driven Innovation
Through years of experience, we discovered five foundational leadership beliefs that are essential for unlocking the power of employee ideas and driving successful change initiatives:
Start Where the Energy Is
Tap into your employees’ natural motivation to improve their work and see a direct impact by seeking their ideas on issues that matter to them and align with strategic goals.
Empower Effective Action
Give teams the tools and authority to take immediate action on their solutions.
Embrace Simplicity
Avoid complex methods and jargon. Use intuitive tools and processes that everyone can understand.
Prioritize Speed to Results
Design for quick wins. Break down projects into short sprints with clear milestones.
Make the Leap of Faith
Trust in the collective genius of your workforce. Create a safe space for ideas to surface and flourish.
These five foundational beliefs are explored in depth in the book, Ideas to Action: Unlock your organization’s hidden genius for igniting innovation and accelerating results.
What Experts are Saying About
Ideas to Action
~ John Biedry
Executive Leader and Ideas-to-Action Process Champion,
Nike, ServiceMaster, USPS, and Waste Management
The Ideas-to-Action Process
Speed, Simplicity & Results
Fueled by five foundational leadership beliefs, the Ideas-to-Action Process provides a practical and rapid way to unlock employee ideas and transform them into measurable results—without lengthy training or expensive consultants.
This proven process offers a straightforward path from insight to impact. Teams gain practical tools to evaluate and implement their ideas, while leaders gain the ability to track progress and measure results.
Through years of application, organizations of all sizes and across industries have experienced an average 10x ROI, 90% initiative success rates, and significant gains in employee engagement by leveraging the Ideas-to-Action Process.
