Democratizing Innovation - how ground-level insights drive success
When we think of groundbreaking ideas in business, many of us often imagine them coming from top executives. A closer look reveals a different story though - some of the most successful innovations actually come from the lower levels of a company. This democratized approach to innovation highlights the importance of inclusive idea generation and shows the immense potential within employees regardless of level.
Post-it Notes. Art Fry took a job at 3M while still enrolled in undergraduate school and worked as a new product development researcher. The idea for the product came from a practical need he identified while singing in the church choir, where he used slips of paper as bookmarks that often fell out of his hymnal. This led him to experiment with a unique adhesive he had heard about in a seminar given by another 3M scientist, eventually creating the iconic Post-It Notes product.
Sony PlayStation. Electrical engineer Ken Kutaragi developed the PlayStation as a side project. He first came up with the idea for a CD-ROM-based gaming system while working at Sony's sound labs and watching his daughter play with the Nintendo gaming console. Despite initial disinterest from his superiors at Sony, Kutaragi's persistence and innovative spirit led to the creation of the PlayStation, positioning him as the "Father of the PlayStation". This side project grew into a multi-billion dollar franchise and changed the gaming industry.
Gmail. A product of Google’s “20% time” policy (which allowed employees to spend 20% of their working time on personal projects), led to the creation of Gmail. Paul Buchheit, a developer at Google, created Gmail to improve email functionality and storage. He started working on Gmail in August 2001 and created the first version of Gmail in just one day by reusing code from Google Groups. Today, Gmail is one of the most widely used email platforms. This is a spectacular example of how giving employees the freedom to innovate can result in products that millions of people rely on daily. Buchheit also hacked together the "did you mean?" feature after analyzing search query logs and discovering that many queries were misspelled. This feature significantly improved search quality by fixing spelling errors.
The Toyota Production System (TPS). The Toyota Production System is renowned worldwide for revolutionizing manufacturing processes. At its core, TPS focuses on continuous improvement (Kaizen) and the principle of respect of people. One of the most striking aspects of TPS is its reliance on suggestions from employees at all levels from line workers to floor managers. Toyota's suggestion system allows employees to submit their ideas for improving workflow, reducing waste, or enhancing quality. A notable example of this system in action is the case of the “Seven Wastes” identified by Toyota production engineer Taiichi Ohno (overproduction, waiting, transport, extra processing, inventory, motion, and defects). Employees are trained to spot these wastes in their daily tasks and are encouraged to find ways to eliminate them. This has led to countless innovations and efficiencies, as workers continuously refine and optimize their processes.
These stories underline that innovation shouldn’t be confined to the executive boardroom. Companies that encourage innovation at all levels are more agile, successful, and better equipped to adapt to change. When every employee is empowered to contribute ideas, businesses can tap into a diverse range of perspectives and experiences. This inclusive approach leads to more creative solutions and faster problem-solving. It also builds a culture of engagement and ownership, where employees feel their contributions matter.