Where’s your next great idea?

Some of us may not be looking to strike out on our own with a business start-up, but great ideas are just as important for institutions that have been around for a while – like credit unions, which have been around for about 100 years.

The world is constantly changing. Consumers routinely demand different products and services as they adopt new technologies. To keep our organizations relevant, we need to keep new ideas flowing.

How do we do that? Forbes contributor Millie Tadewaldt discusses a few techniques that might be helpful.

– Problem spotting. List out your complaints of any product or service that isn’t quite working the way you think it should. This technique can work for your company as well. Think through the different offerings and ask yourself what could be tweaked to work a little better. Ask others as well.

– Creative swiping. Start with another company’s idea and make it fit for you and your organization. Ideas don’t always have to be creative or original; just be sure to tweak them to fit your needs.

continue reading »