At Acme Widgets, a fictional firm that learned a real-life lesson, the management team thought they had a great idea. "We'll implement a suggestion box!" they declared, envisioning a utopia of ideas for improvement coming from the workforce.

The rollout was done with great fanfare. A big box was placed in the main hallway with posters plastered on walls, proclaiming "Your Ideas Matter!" For a fleeting moment, excitement buzzed, and ideas started coming in. Then reality hit. The ideas soon vanished into the void. Nothing was happening with them, and no one knew where they went.

Mary from accounting suggested a time-saving spreadsheet tweak. Ignored. Tom from shipping proposed a cost-saving inventory improvement. Crickets. Even the janitor's request for a mop that didn't shed like a labrador in spring fell on deaf ears. Pretty soon, ideas dried up and the only thing in the suggestion box was an occasional gum wrapper.

Here's the deal: While this fictitious account may sound exaggerated, some variation of it plays out in organizations all too often.  When people reach out and no one responds, they feel powerless, and even the most driven employees can lose their spark.

True engagement takes more than a suggestion box in the hall, posters on the wall, or a passive open-door policy. It takes giving employees substantive control over the actions and decisions that affect their lives in the workplace. It takes creating an environment with routine processes where every voice is heard, valued, and acted upon. Where improvement is woven into the fabric of every person's daily work, not just an afterthought.

Curious about how to turn this fiasco into a success story? Want to learn how to make improvement processes more productive than boxes and posters?

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“Great is the enemy of better”

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