IDEA SHARING:
HOW TO SHARE IDEAS IN THE WORKPLACE

Everyone knows that two heads are better
than one. Most businesses already
encourage the sharing of ideas at work. It
could be brainstorming sessions, team-
building events or even strategically placed
sofas around the water cooler to encourage
conversation and ideation.
But rather than leaving it to chance,
consider how idea-sharing ‘technology’
could transform your business?
Just think of the benefits of tapping into the
collective wisdom of your team, including
the increasing number of remote workers
and freelancers in the workforce.

IDEA-SHARING: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Foster
Innovation
& Creativity
Add Value
To The
Customer
Improve
Employee
Engagement
& Morale
Team collaboration and joint working foster a culture of innovation and
creativity throughout the workforce. Bouncing ideas of colleagues, sharing
insights as well as offering different experiences and feedback can result
in breakthrough thinking.
Senior managers and business owners often don’t have that daily interaction
with customers. And yet they are responsible for setting the strategic direction
and making budgetary decisions. Front-line customer service staff have a
deep understanding about the needs, wants and complaints of consumers.
Capturing their ideas, insights and suggestions can lead to improvements
sure to add customer-value and improve your standing in the marketplace.
Having an idea-sharing platform in place sends an important message to
employees that they are valued. It encourages staff to become actively
involved in the business, increasing their sense of emotional connection and
supporting a work environment that promotes constant learning, innovation
and improvement. You will also benefit from an enhanced employer brand.
The bottom line is that sharing ideas at work can lead to increased revenue
for the company. The improvements in business processes, cost-
reducing measures and enhanced customer service will translate into
more dollars in the bank.
Increased
Revenue
+

? Ask Open And Closed Questions
Make It Fun
Be Upfront About Business Goals
Provide Regular Feedback
TEAM
SHARING
IDEAS
Say Thank You

TEAM SHARING IDEAS
Idea-Sharing Comes From The Top: Managers and leaders should set the right
tone and make it clear that creative thinking is encouraged and valued. Give
team members the space to test their ideas, resolve issues and find solutions
collectively. This also involves making it clear it’s OK to be zany, and make
mistakes. In fact, accepting the inevitability of mistakes will unleash the
creative process.
BE UPFRONT ABOUT BUSINESS GOALS
Keeping team members fully informed about the business, its changing goals,
challenges and opportunities will enable staff to meaningfully contribute.
Staff need that important contextual knowledge and awareness of operational
parameters to guide their thinking and maximize the impact of their idea-sharing.
ASK OPEN AND CLOSED QUESTIONS
Presenting staff with a blank piece of paper and asking for ideas on wide-ranging
topics isn’t always the best way to encourage idea-sharing. Ensure you have
closed questions – these can actually focus the mind and encourage staff to be
more specific in their contributions.
MAKE IT FUN
It doesn’t always have to be serious, work-related issues that staff are asked to
contribute ideas on. Introducing a light-hearted element stops the process from
becoming dull. Ask staff for their views on a team-bonding exercise or which
sodas should be stocked in the office refrigerator.
PROVIDE REGULAR FEEDBACK
It’s essential to feedback to staff on how their ideas and suggestions have
produced results or led to real change. Seeing the tangible results of their
ideas will encourage employees to ideate and innovate even more.
SAY THANK YOU
Staff members will have put time and effort into their ideas and so it’s only right
the organization acknowledges that with a thank you. It could in the shape of
lunch vouchers, a token gift, or simply a thank you message from the CEO. This
small gesture will, however, make a big difference in terms of boosting morale
and the company culture.
SHARE

Technology has made the process of sharing ideas at work a whole lot easier. Today’s workplaces have changed considerably over the last 20 years with
flexible working becoming increasingly popular. Research from the US Census Bureau tells us that 4.7 million employees in the US work from home at
least half the time. What’s needed in the modern workplace is an idea-sharing platform that replicates that social network of old in a virtual sense.
What’s needed is an intranet which not only serves as an idea-sharing platform, it will also deliver other, untapped business benefits.
IDEA-SHARING PLATFORM

AT WORK WITH AN INTRANET
The integrated office intranet has a number of advantages over other idea-
sharing platforms, including:
• Document management system for simpler file storage and sharing
both internally and externally
• News blogs and newsletters for enhanced internal communication
• Online quizzes and surveys to canvas staff views
• Company or team calendar to keep staff informed of key dates and events
• Automated online forms to streamline business processes
• Knowledge management systems to manage and transfer corporate
knowledge.
All employees can enjoy access to the intranet, from any device, and requires
only one sign-on for users. There’s no need for multiple screens and a variety
of apps – it’s all there in one platform.

COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACES
These shared workspaces on the intranet allow for more advanced
idea-sharing. A cross-departmental project group can set up a closed
project space on the intranet. Access is restricted to the project team
members only by a series of rules. The project team can then meet
virtually to share information and data, brainstorm ideas.
Furthermore, it’s possible to embed G Suite or Office 365 apps
directly in the intranet for real-time online collaboration. There’s no
need to email the strategy around to the team for editing and
comments with complicated track changes that are hard to follow.
SOCIAL INTRANET
The intranet makes it possible to replicate social networks online.
The intranet comes with a number of integrated social features,
including:
• Follow-me functionality
• Individual activity walls
• Site or team activity walls
• Notifications and subscriptions
• Add a friend
INTRANET FEATURES THAT SUPPORT THE SHARING OF IDEAS

ONLINE EMPLOYEE
PROFILES
EMPLOYEE IDEA EXCHANGE
It’s possible to set up a virtual employee suggestion box on the intranet. The difference with
the intranet is that all employees can see what’s being put forward and are able to contribute
and expand on the idea.
What’s more, the intranet’s idea exchange increases accountability as management can
easily feedback to staff on the outcomes of their suggestions.
Another suggestion is a bright ideas blog or wiki where staff can communicate, connect and
share ideas, insights or ask questions on work-related issues.
24/7 REMOTE ACCESS
The open-all-hours nature of the intranet means staff can share ideas and collaborate
anytime and anywhere. All that’s required is a smartphone, tablet or computer and Wi-Fi
connection.
And so, regardless of location, time difference or whether the worker is a freelancer
or telecommuter, the intranet acts as a platform for idea sharing and social networking.
The intranet breaks down the barriers caused by distance or information silos.
Full employee biographies that
showcase employees’ areas of
knowledge and expertise help
to facilitate the exchange of
ideas between employees.
For example, Paula in Accounts
may be struggling with an issue
in Excel. A search through the
employee directory can reveal
sources of help in other teams.

Encouraging staff to share their ideas, knowledge and insights
fosters innovation in the workplace and will ultimately help to
increase profits.
A simple to set-up and easy to manage cloud intranet facilitates
the exchange of ideas so that all staff can contribute. The intranet
is accessible 24/7 even to freelancers, contractors and those who
are telecommuting or spend their time out on the road.
Get in touch with us here at MyHub for an informal discussion and
learn how an intranet could breathe new life into your company’s
idea-sharing.
Why not find out for yourself just how effective a platform the
intranet is with our free demo or 14-day no-obligation trial.
Sharing ideas really is a whole lot easier with an intranet
so get in touch today!
IDEA SHARING MADE EASY
WITH AN INTRANET