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Ideas Are Free: How the Idea Revolution Is Liberating People and Transforming Organizations
The fact is, because they're the ones actually doing the day-to-day work front-line employees see a great many problems and opportunities that their managers don't. But most organizations do very poorly at tapping into this extraordinary potential source of revenue-enhancing, savings-generating ideas.
Ideas Are Free sets out a roadmap for totally integrating ideas and idea management into the way companies are structured and operate. Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder draw on their ten years experience with more than three hundred organizations in fifteen countries to show precisely how to design a system to take advantage of this virtually free, perpetually renewing font of innovation.
Robinson and Schroeder deal with two fundamental principles of managing ideas that are highly counterintuitive - the importance of going after small ideas rather than big ones, and the problems with the most common reward schemes and how to avoid them. They describe how to make ideas part of everyone's job, and how to set up and run an effective process for handling ideas-how to take a good idea system and make it great. And they show how good idea systems have a profound impact on an organization's culture. At the end of each chapter they provide "Guerrilla Tactics for the Idea Revolutionary", actions to promote ideas that any manager can take on his or her own authority, and that require little or no resources.
Ideas Are Free sets out a roadmap for totally integrating ideas and idea management into the way companies are structured and operate. Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder draw on their ten years experience with more than three hundred organizations in fifteen countries to show precisely how to design a system to take advantage of this virtually free, perpetually renewing font of innovation.
Robinson and Schroeder deal with two fundamental principles of managing ideas that are highly counterintuitive - the importance of going after small ideas rather than big ones, and the problems with the most common reward schemes and how to avoid them. They describe how to make ideas part of everyone's job, and how to set up and run an effective process for handling ideas-how to take a good idea system and make it great. And they show how good idea systems have a profound impact on an organization's culture. At the end of each chapter they provide "Guerrilla Tactics for the Idea Revolutionary", actions to promote ideas that any manager can take on his or her own authority, and that require little or no resources.
264 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2004
19 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Alan G. Robinson
17 books6 followersDr. Alan G. Robinson specializes in lean production, managing continuous improvement, creativity, ideas and innovation, and is the co-author of six books, which have been translated into more than twenty languages. His new book, The Idea-Driven Organization (co-authored with Dean Schroeder) is scheduled to be released on March 31, 2014.
According to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), Modern Approaches to Manufacturing Improvement -- his 1991 book with Shigeo Shingo, one of the developers of the Toyota Production System -- "remains a must-read for anyone interested in lean production".
Corporate Creativity (co-authored with Sam Stern) was named "Book of the Year" by the Academy of Human Resource Management, was a finalist in the Financial Times/Booz Allen & Hamilton Global Best Business Book Awards, and has been translated into thirteen foreign languages.
His 2002 book Vos Idées Changent Tout (co-authored with Isaac Getz) has been translated into six languages. In his preface to the German edition of this book, Heinrich von Pierer, President and CEO of Siemens AG, called this "an important book on a topic that is fundamental to every business".
Robinson's book Ideas Are Free (co-authored with Dean Schroeder) was based on a global study of more than 150 organizations in 17 countries. It describes how the best companies go about getting large numbers of ideas from their front-line employees, and the competitive advantages they gain from this. The book was named Reader's Choice by Fast Company magazine and one of the 30 best business books of 2004 by Soundview Executive Books, and was featured on ABC World News and CNN Headline News. A syndicated small business columnist for Scripps-Howard, Paul Tulenko, wrote about Ideas Are Free, "I rate this book 5 1/2 stars, a first in this category. It's that powerful. (Only the Bible and the Constitution receive 6 stars.)".
Robinson has advised more than 200 companies in fifteen countries on how to improve their performance. Some of his more well-known recent clients include: the Federal Reserve Bank, Lucent Technologies, Interbrew, General Electric, IKEA, Mass Mutual, UBS, Alcan, Volkswagen, Standard and Poors, The Washington Post, Danaher, Wyeth, Medtronics, Blue Shield of California, Toyota, Northeast Utilities, Millitech, Bemis, Pyosa (the Mexican chemical company), Fanuc (the Japanese robotics company), Schneider Electric, the Japan Industrial Training Association, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Coor Service Management, Lafayette 148 and the Applied Physics Laboratory.
He has served on the Board of Examiners of the United States' Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and on the Board of Examiners for the Shingo Prizes for Excellence in Manufacturing.
Dr. Robinson is on the faculty of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts. He received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A./M.A. in mathematics from the University of Cambridge.
He has also taught at St. Petersburg Technical University in Russia, the Athens Laboratory of Business Administration in Greece (affiliated with INSEAD), the Jagiellonian University in Poland, the University of Porto in Portugal, the Hanoi Business School, and Tianjin University in China.
According to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), Modern Approaches to Manufacturing Improvement -- his 1991 book with Shigeo Shingo, one of the developers of the Toyota Production System -- "remains a must-read for anyone interested in lean production".
Corporate Creativity (co-authored with Sam Stern) was named "Book of the Year" by the Academy of Human Resource Management, was a finalist in the Financial Times/Booz Allen & Hamilton Global Best Business Book Awards, and has been translated into thirteen foreign languages.
His 2002 book Vos Idées Changent Tout (co-authored with Isaac Getz) has been translated into six languages. In his preface to the German edition of this book, Heinrich von Pierer, President and CEO of Siemens AG, called this "an important book on a topic that is fundamental to every business".
Robinson's book Ideas Are Free (co-authored with Dean Schroeder) was based on a global study of more than 150 organizations in 17 countries. It describes how the best companies go about getting large numbers of ideas from their front-line employees, and the competitive advantages they gain from this. The book was named Reader's Choice by Fast Company magazine and one of the 30 best business books of 2004 by Soundview Executive Books, and was featured on ABC World News and CNN Headline News. A syndicated small business columnist for Scripps-Howard, Paul Tulenko, wrote about Ideas Are Free, "I rate this book 5 1/2 stars, a first in this category. It's that powerful. (Only the Bible and the Constitution receive 6 stars.)".
Robinson has advised more than 200 companies in fifteen countries on how to improve their performance. Some of his more well-known recent clients include: the Federal Reserve Bank, Lucent Technologies, Interbrew, General Electric, IKEA, Mass Mutual, UBS, Alcan, Volkswagen, Standard and Poors, The Washington Post, Danaher, Wyeth, Medtronics, Blue Shield of California, Toyota, Northeast Utilities, Millitech, Bemis, Pyosa (the Mexican chemical company), Fanuc (the Japanese robotics company), Schneider Electric, the Japan Industrial Training Association, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Coor Service Management, Lafayette 148 and the Applied Physics Laboratory.
He has served on the Board of Examiners of the United States' Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and on the Board of Examiners for the Shingo Prizes for Excellence in Manufacturing.
Dr. Robinson is on the faculty of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts. He received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A./M.A. in mathematics from the University of Cambridge.
He has also taught at St. Petersburg Technical University in Russia, the Athens Laboratory of Business Administration in Greece (affiliated with INSEAD), the Jagiellonian University in Poland, the University of Porto in Portugal, the Hanoi Business School, and Tianjin University in China.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 23, 2012
Another book that could have been an article. Idea systems that effectively funnel ideas from front line employees to senior management create competitive advantage-- that's it. However, it was interesting to learn that reward systems designed to incentivize employees to share their ideas tend to backfire pretty badly. The summaries and tips at the end of each chapter are pretty helpful too.
April 22, 2008
My father is one of the authors, so I think I may be just a tad biased, however, I really liked it. I actually helped pick out the cover. It's a good book for any manager to read, or any employee. Read it!
February 27, 2021
Great book giving insight into idea systems and how little ideas make big change.
The authors do a great job explaining why focus should be set on small incremental ideas, rather than large disruptive ones.
They also cover the benefit idea systems, how to measure success, the impact of reward systems, and tips for setting up your own idea system.
The arguments and suggestions were compelling enough that I'll be looking to setup an idea system in the team I work on.
The authors do a great job explaining why focus should be set on small incremental ideas, rather than large disruptive ones.
They also cover the benefit idea systems, how to measure success, the impact of reward systems, and tips for setting up your own idea system.
The arguments and suggestions were compelling enough that I'll be looking to setup an idea system in the team I work on.
March 13, 2024
A fantastic read for people looking from within an organization that is floundering in any way. I see a lot of connections between the ideas programs that the authors describe and improvements in morale that my workplace could benefit from.
I was taking notes throughout my read. Read it if you're inspired to make change in your workplace, especially if you're in a position in your organization where you could convince others within your leadership to read this book as well.
I was taking notes throughout my read. Read it if you're inspired to make change in your workplace, especially if you're in a position in your organization where you could convince others within your leadership to read this book as well.
September 12, 2020
I mean... it's ok. Between this and The Idea-Driven Organization, I'd recommend the latter. Much of the same content between the two, which was expected, but Ideas Are Free seemed to be a little less focused. I did like the Guerilla Tactics in each chapter, though, for readers who may need to take advantage of early changes without necessarily having full buy-in at all levels.
July 20, 2025
Read for a graduate course. Ideas form when a problem is present. This book focuses on implementing a basic process for gathering ideas within the workplace. Employees gain intrinsic rewards when their ideas are heard and used.
October 1, 2021
A good book for managers and for employee
December 26, 2021
it mostly reiterates the same ideas but I like how is it put in different perspectives
January 17, 2023
Great overview of idea systems and their implementation in organizations.
August 28, 2023
An interesting approach to management and system reforme.
October 25, 2012
In this hyper-competitive and economically uncertain world, there is a free resource for efficiency and money-saving ideas that few companies have accessed. Why not ask your employees for their suggestions to make the company better?
It's not as easy as putting up suggestion boxes, and waiting for the flood of ideas. First, look at your corporate culture. If yours is the sort of company that discourages ideas from employees (workers are there to work and not think), it will take a lot of work on the part of senior management to convince employees that, this time, things are different. The actual idea submission form must be short, no more than one page. There needs to be a system in place where every idea is acknowledged and evaluated within a specific period of time (for instance, within 24 and 72 hours, respectively). If a middle manager is "sitting on" an idea, for whatever reason, senior management needs to know about it.
In many cases, the immediate supervisor is most qualified to evaluate ideas. Feedback is very important, especially if the idea needs more work, or if the idea has to be rejected. Explaining the reason to the employee will keep them from getting discouraged. When an idea is approved by the right people, there is no reason for it to not be implemented sooner, rather than later (within hours or days, not at the start of the next quarter). There should be continuous checking of ideas to see if they can also be used elsewhere in the company. Managers seem to be only interested in the huge, million-dollar idea. Is there something wrong with a few thousand-dollar ideas?
Setting up a system of monetary rewards for ideas is popular, but not needed. The best "compensation" for an employee is to see their idea implemented, to know that they had a hand in bettering their company. It is very easy for a company to do rewards the wrong way, increasing mistrust among employees. The authors show how to do rewards the right way.
Filled with many real-life examples, this is a clear and insightful book about a surprisingly easy way to get money-saving ideas. This is applicable to all sorts of companies, big and small, and is very much recommended.
It's not as easy as putting up suggestion boxes, and waiting for the flood of ideas. First, look at your corporate culture. If yours is the sort of company that discourages ideas from employees (workers are there to work and not think), it will take a lot of work on the part of senior management to convince employees that, this time, things are different. The actual idea submission form must be short, no more than one page. There needs to be a system in place where every idea is acknowledged and evaluated within a specific period of time (for instance, within 24 and 72 hours, respectively). If a middle manager is "sitting on" an idea, for whatever reason, senior management needs to know about it.
In many cases, the immediate supervisor is most qualified to evaluate ideas. Feedback is very important, especially if the idea needs more work, or if the idea has to be rejected. Explaining the reason to the employee will keep them from getting discouraged. When an idea is approved by the right people, there is no reason for it to not be implemented sooner, rather than later (within hours or days, not at the start of the next quarter). There should be continuous checking of ideas to see if they can also be used elsewhere in the company. Managers seem to be only interested in the huge, million-dollar idea. Is there something wrong with a few thousand-dollar ideas?
Setting up a system of monetary rewards for ideas is popular, but not needed. The best "compensation" for an employee is to see their idea implemented, to know that they had a hand in bettering their company. It is very easy for a company to do rewards the wrong way, increasing mistrust among employees. The authors show how to do rewards the right way.
Filled with many real-life examples, this is a clear and insightful book about a surprisingly easy way to get money-saving ideas. This is applicable to all sorts of companies, big and small, and is very much recommended.
September 22, 2015
Un libro verdaderamente transformacional (casi)
El libro es como para cinco estrellas, ya que define muy bien cuales son los beneficios de implementar un Sistema de Gestión de Ideas, deja ver cómo es la cultura organizacional en las empresas que han implementado un sistema de este tipo y como es un factor fundamental para ganar una ventaja competitiva sostenible. Está lleno de ejemplos de las mas variadas organizaciones, desde pequeñísimas empresas de "non-for-profit" hasta multinacionales.
En mis actualizaciones puse las ideas que me parecieron más importantes de cada capitulo, así que no lo repetiré aquí.
¿Por qué no cinco estrellas? Creo que el libro se queda corto en lo que son las instrucciones detalladas para implementar un Sistema de Gestión de Ideas, parece que todo es: empieza por preguntarle a la gente, pon en acción sus ideas, y ps… ya, así va creciendo y así. Creo que hay espacio en el mercado para un libro que muestre los planos (blueprints) o plantillas (templates) de un sistema de este tipo: qué formatos utilizar para recolectar las ideas, qué datos son relevantes para almacenar, qué datos se requieren para la evaluación, priorización y selección de ideas (sobre todo para las que requieran de mayor capital), como dar seguimiento a las ideas (importante para mostrar el éxito del sistema), etc.
Es obvio que las instrucciones detalladas dependen de la cultura organizacional y de la situación coyuntural de cada empresa, pero creo que si se podría por lo menos esbozar algo genérico y con un poco más de detalle.
Si alguien conoce algún libro con detalles de implementación, por favor recomiéndemelo.
El libro es como para cinco estrellas, ya que define muy bien cuales son los beneficios de implementar un Sistema de Gestión de Ideas, deja ver cómo es la cultura organizacional en las empresas que han implementado un sistema de este tipo y como es un factor fundamental para ganar una ventaja competitiva sostenible. Está lleno de ejemplos de las mas variadas organizaciones, desde pequeñísimas empresas de "non-for-profit" hasta multinacionales.
En mis actualizaciones puse las ideas que me parecieron más importantes de cada capitulo, así que no lo repetiré aquí.
¿Por qué no cinco estrellas? Creo que el libro se queda corto en lo que son las instrucciones detalladas para implementar un Sistema de Gestión de Ideas, parece que todo es: empieza por preguntarle a la gente, pon en acción sus ideas, y ps… ya, así va creciendo y así. Creo que hay espacio en el mercado para un libro que muestre los planos (blueprints) o plantillas (templates) de un sistema de este tipo: qué formatos utilizar para recolectar las ideas, qué datos son relevantes para almacenar, qué datos se requieren para la evaluación, priorización y selección de ideas (sobre todo para las que requieran de mayor capital), como dar seguimiento a las ideas (importante para mostrar el éxito del sistema), etc.
Es obvio que las instrucciones detalladas dependen de la cultura organizacional y de la situación coyuntural de cada empresa, pero creo que si se podría por lo menos esbozar algo genérico y con un poco más de detalle.
Si alguien conoce algún libro con detalles de implementación, por favor recomiéndemelo.
January 4, 2014
HIT CLOSE TO HOME!!!
I listened to the Audible unabridged audiobook. This book was recommended by Karen Martin during one of her webinars. I respect Ms. Martin and per her suggestion this book did not disappoint.
The concepts hit close to my heart. My company operates 2 independent employee suggestion programs.
1 - Is a traditional program with payouts. I oversee this system and frankly it sucks. Most suggestions are huge that require engineering support and with limited resources get tabled. Some since 2007.
2 - Was a pilot system we rolled out about a year ago called Quick Kaizen. I co-created and support this system, but the area supervisor has championed it. In it's first month there were 15 ideas (about 3 per employee) and all but 2 were implemented. A year into it we are averaging about 1 suggestions per month (1 per employee) with a 90% implementation rate. So why hasn't it spread to other areas?
Unfortunately #2 has all but fizzled - because the ideas resolved local problems vs. company issues and because the savings didn't show radical improvements to the bottom line.
The only thing holding me back from 5 stars is I would have like some more constructive ideas on creating the system. Author mentions 4 hours per idea administration - who does this? When rolling out a system how do you staff for this? Pilot vs full roll out?
Overall a very inspiring book that hits home and reminds me why I got into Continuous Improvement to begin with. I may buy a copy for my boss.
I listened to the Audible unabridged audiobook. This book was recommended by Karen Martin during one of her webinars. I respect Ms. Martin and per her suggestion this book did not disappoint.
The concepts hit close to my heart. My company operates 2 independent employee suggestion programs.
1 - Is a traditional program with payouts. I oversee this system and frankly it sucks. Most suggestions are huge that require engineering support and with limited resources get tabled. Some since 2007.
2 - Was a pilot system we rolled out about a year ago called Quick Kaizen. I co-created and support this system, but the area supervisor has championed it. In it's first month there were 15 ideas (about 3 per employee) and all but 2 were implemented. A year into it we are averaging about 1 suggestions per month (1 per employee) with a 90% implementation rate. So why hasn't it spread to other areas?
Unfortunately #2 has all but fizzled - because the ideas resolved local problems vs. company issues and because the savings didn't show radical improvements to the bottom line.
The only thing holding me back from 5 stars is I would have like some more constructive ideas on creating the system. Author mentions 4 hours per idea administration - who does this? When rolling out a system how do you staff for this? Pilot vs full roll out?
Overall a very inspiring book that hits home and reminds me why I got into Continuous Improvement to begin with. I may buy a copy for my boss.
January 6, 2015
Quick read, really enjoyed the idea of working at the lowest levels for improvement ideas. The people that do the job every day are smarter than you...don't take it personally, use them as a resource.
December 7, 2008
Fantastic book, especially for someone in industry.
Examples of idea generation from employees of all levels. And Alan Robinson is a very dynamic and personable man - you can see it in his writing.
Examples of idea generation from employees of all levels. And Alan Robinson is a very dynamic and personable man - you can see it in his writing.
March 30, 2013
A should-read book on creative frameworks in self development for knowledge workers, managers, executives, and entrepreneurs.
January 28, 2015
Interesting, but once you get the jest of it, it could be a long read.
April 12, 2025
Vera basic, just opening common Doors things that everyone knows
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews