When an organization starts a high-performing idea system, rarely is there a shortage of ideas. Ideas come from problems, and people are already aware of many obvious problems and opportunities. They just haven’t had the chance to correct them before.

But after a while – six months, nine months, a year, depending on the circumstances – no matter how much they encourage their people, the most common concern we hear from managers is “Our people seem to be running out of ideas.”

No idea system sta...