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DEVELOPING
AN IDEA APPROVAL SYSTEM IN A COMMUNITY
(ABC)
People
generate ideas. Among any group of people, there
will be those who say, "I've got an idea we
ought to try." If you are the leader or one of
the leaders in an organization, you rarely say,
"I've got time to hear your idea and would love
to evaluate it to decide if it's good enough to
implement". You'll probably say, "One of
these days we'll talk about it", hoping the
person forgets their inspiration and leaves you
alone. For the group and its individuals, there is a
better way to treat people and their ideas.
An idea approval system for a community or group is
one where leaders want ideas and revelations that
will may be helpful to the community, (church,
organization, study group, etc.). There is a process
that helps an organization properly consider these
ideas, even encourage new thoughts, without bogging
down the energy in a group. Too often ideas get
squelched or ignored because the leader is too busy
to look at every new thought or improvement. This
system corrects that problem.
STEPS
IN THE PROCESS
Develop
a clear, concise statement of purpose and vision.
Put it in writing and communicate it.
Appoint or assign a team of community members to
evaluate ideas and suggestions.
Train
them in the community's purpose and in the purpose
of the team they are to join.
Develop a questionnaire that includes the following
questions;
-
What
is the idea or plan?
-
How
will it help achieve our purpose?
-
Who
are the candidates to lead the project/effort?
-
What
are the personnel needs and what training is
necessary?
-
Who
is able to provide training and help develop the
necessary skills?
-
What
is the total cost of training including
personnel, equipment, facilities, materials,
etc?
-
Others
you deem appropriate.
Once the
advisors have properly evaluated the data, the
advisory group should be able to make a
recommendation, modify the idea to make it
acceptable, or explain to the idea-generator why it
doesn't fit the organization's vision or plan,
The leader will have to decide how he/she wants to
be involved at this point. Options are to let the
advisory group decide, have them make a
recommendation to the leader for his/her decision,
decide with the leader, or another option they may
develop.
This is obviously a lot of work in the beginning.
Over the long term however, it will save time,
minimize hurt feelings about ideas not being heard,
eliminate those unnecessary times when someone wants
to get the leader's attention with an idea, and will
result in greater accomplishments for the mission
and work of the group or community. The leader is no
longer seen as a 'bad' person for not trying new
things. Others learn to be more responsible in the
total ministry. New ideas are encouraged and
everyone feels more like a contributing member of
the community.
Max K Cole
3/01 |