Always Close the Loop

An innovation classic is making sure to close the loop. What that means is that when people share ideas and hear nothing back, they stop contributing. The easiest way to kill momentum is to leave things in limbo. Closing the loop means telling people what happened with their idea. Yes, no, maybe. Just don’t say nothing.

You don’t have to write a full report. If something got implemented, share the outcome. If it didn’t, explain why. People are surprisingly okay with a no, as long as it feels like someone actually read their idea. If you want to keep it positive you can thank each person submitting an idea right of the bat. Via an automation or a personal message.

Add a step to your workflow: for every idea that moves forward or gets declined, depending on the status, include a clear message. “We loved the idea but can’t implement it this quarter due to budget.” That’s enough to keep the relationship human and showing that you’re invested in making ideas matter.