Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments

CHAPTER 1 THE IDEA REVOLUTION
What’s in an Idea?
How Ideas Drive a Culture of High Performance
The Need for Managerial Humility
Why Organizations Never Run Out of Improvement Opportunities
Overview of the Book’s Main Points
Conclusion

CHAPTER 2 THE POWER OF SMALL IDEAS
Excellence Depends on Small Ideas
Small Ideas and Rapid Organizational Learning
Sustainable Competitive Advantage
How Small Ideas Lead to Big Ones
The True Currency of Managing Ideas
Key Points

CHAPTER 3 THE PITFALLS OF REWARDS
Some Inconvenient Evidence
Why Do People Step Forward with Ideas?
The Invisible Costs of Rewards
Reward Systems That Work
Key Points

CHAPTER 4 MAKING IDEAS EVERYONE’S JOB
“It’s Not Your Job to Think”
Making Ideas Part of Employees’ Work
Making Ideas Part of the Work of Supervisors
Making Ideas Part of the Work of Middle Managers
Making Ideas Part of the Work of Senior Leaders
Making Ideas Part of the Organization’s Work
Key Points

CHAPTER 5 PUTTING THE PROCESS IN PLACE
Characteristic 1: Ideas Are Encouraged and Welcomed
Characteristic 2: Submitting Ideas Is Simple
Characteristic 3: Evaluation of Ideas Is Quick and Effective
Characteristic 4: Feedback Is Timely, Constructive, and Informative
Characteristic 5: Implementation Is Rapid and Smooth
Characteristic 6: Ideas Are Reviewed for Additional Potential
Characteristic 7: People Are Recognized, and Success Is Celebrated
Characteristic 8: Idea System Performance Is Measured, Reviewed, and Improved
Key Points

CHAPTER 6 FOCUSING ON WHAT MATTERS MOST
Choosing What to Focus On
Making Focus a Way of Life
Key Points

CHAPTER 7 GETTING MORE AND BETTER IDEAS
How People Come Up with Ideas
Idea Activators
How to Broaden Employees’ Perspectives
Improving Alertness to Problems and Opportunities
Key Points

CHAPTER 8 LIBERATION AND TRANSFORMATION
Ideas and Attitudes
Ideas and Respect, Trust, and Involvement
Ideas and Interpersonal Relations
How Ideas Counter Learned Helplessness
Ideas and a High-Performance Culture
Parting Thoughts
Key Points
Notes
Index
About the Authors

About the Author

Alan G. Robinson is coauthor of the bestseller Corporate Creativity and teaches at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts.
Dean M. Schroeder is currently the Herbert and Agnes Schulz Professor at the College of Business Administration at Valparaiso University.

Reviews

“In [this] groundbreaking book.... Robinson and Schroeder have a message for today’s overburdened, stressed-out managers and supervisors: the solution to your problems is closer than you realize—it lies within the people who work for you.”
—The American Management Association (AMA)

“One of the thirty best business books of the year.”
—Soundview Executive Book Summaries

“Ideas Are Free is the definitive book on getting—and applying— business-transforming ideas from frontline employees.”
—Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

“Ideas Are Free shows how a good idea has no bounds and how pursuing such ideas is the essence of everyone’s job today. Robinson and Schroeder outline a workable plan for tapping into this unlimited re- source and harnessing its potential.”
—Bob Nelson, PhD, bestselling author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees and 1001 Ways to Take Initiative at Work

“Ideas Are Free is a must-read for every manager. Robinson and Schroeder provide an invaluable blueprint of how to unlock one of the great assets that is frequently untapped in business—employee ideas.”
—Richard A. Goldstein, Chairman and CEO, International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc.

“This is the quintessential book on how to foster and leverage free ideas from employees. It’s a must-read for any project manager responsible for delivering programs designed to increase sales, increase productivity, increase customer satisfaction, and increase company employee morale. Read it today. Use it tomorrow.”
—Brand Autopsy

“Ideas Are Free is a refreshingly insightful book that managers at all levels should read. It spells out how to take advantage of your most valuable asset—the combined intellectual capital of all of your people.”
—Donald V. Fites, Former Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar, Inc.

“Ideas Are Free sets out a roadmap for totally integrating ideas and idea management into the way companies are structured and operate. Robinson and Schroeder show how to take advantage of this virtually free, perpetually renewing font of innovation.”
—Society of Manufacturing Engineers

“Wherever you sit in the hierarchy, read Ideas Are Free to seize powerful ideas about potential gains for your organization’s progress and prosperity.”
—Lead Well Institute

“Ideas Are Free does a terrific job of capturing the extraordinary benefits of effective ‘idea generation processes’ that unleash the total people power of any organization that strives for excellence.”
—Tom Malone, President and COO, Milliken & Company (Winner of both the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the European Quality Award)

“You have an opportunity to make major improvements in your business by following the basic guidelines set forth in this book. I rate this book 51⁄2 stars, a first in this category. It’s that powerful. (Only the Bible and the Constitution receive 6 stars.)”
—Paul Tulenko, PhD, Syndicated Small Business Columnist, Scripps- Howard

“Throw out employee suggestion boxes (they don’t work – and never have). Think twice about dangling monetary rewards to workers whose ideas save the company money (the pitfalls are numerous; moreover, it’s not necessary). These are just two of the surprising yet well- documented messages in Ideas Are Free...”
—American Way, American Airlines’ in-flight magazine

"In [this] groundbreaking book.... Robinson and Schroeder have a message for today's overburdened, stressed-out managers and supervisors: the solution to your problems is closer than you realize-it lies within the people who work for you."
-The American Management Association (AMA)

"One of the thirty best business books of the year."
-Soundview Executive Book Summaries

"Ideas Are Free is the definitive book on getting-and applying- business-transforming ideas from frontline employees."
-Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

"Ideas Are Free shows how a good idea has no bounds and how pursuing such ideas is the essence of everyone's job today. Robinson and Schroeder outline a workable plan for tapping into this unlimited re- source and harnessing its potential."
-Bob Nelson, PhD, bestselling author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees and 1001 Ways to Take Initiative at Work

"Ideas Are Free is a must-read for every manager. Robinson and Schroeder provide an invaluable blueprint of how to unlock one of the great assets that is frequently untapped in business-employee ideas."
-Richard A. Goldstein, Chairman and CEO, International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc.

"This is the quintessential book on how to foster and leverage free ideas from employees. It's a must-read for any project manager responsible for delivering programs designed to increase sales, increase productivity, increase customer satisfaction, and increase company employee morale. Read it today. Use it tomorrow."
-Brand Autopsy

"Ideas Are Free is a refreshingly insightful book that managers at all levels should read. It spells out how to take advantage of your most valuable asset-the combined intellectual capital of all of your people."
-Donald V. Fites, Former Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar, Inc.

"Ideas Are Free sets out a roadmap for totally integrating ideas and idea management into the way companies are structured and operate. Robinson and Schroeder show how to take advantage of this virtually free, perpetually renewing font of innovation."
-Society of Manufacturing Engineers

"Wherever you sit in the hierarchy, read Ideas Are Free to seize powerful ideas about potential gains for your organization's progress and prosperity."
-Lead Well Institute

"Ideas Are Free does a terrific job of capturing the extraordinary benefits of effective 'idea generation processes' that unleash the total people power of any organization that strives for excellence."
-Tom Malone, President and COO, Milliken & Company (Winner of both the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the European Quality Award)

"You have an opportunity to make major improvements in your business by following the basic guidelines set forth in this book. I rate this book 51/2 stars, a first in this category. It's that powerful. (Only the Bible and the Constitution receive 6 stars.)"
-Paul Tulenko, PhD, Syndicated Small Business Columnist, Scripps- Howard

"Throw out employee suggestion boxes (they don't work - and never have). Think twice about dangling monetary rewards to workers whose ideas save the company money (the pitfalls are numerous; moreover, it's not necessary). These are just two of the surprising yet well- documented messages in Ideas Are Free..."
-American Way, American Airlines' in-flight magazine