The Value of Frontline Employees’ Ideas & Insights

Frontline employees are often overlooked when it comes to generating ideas and insights for companies, as some managers think that it takes away from productivity, employees don't care enough, and they won't have creative ideas. However, these misconceptions miss the bigger picture, as asking frontline employees for feedback, insights and ideas is one of the best things managers can do to drive value. Rather than relying on brainstorming sessions that can waste time, providing the right tools and processes for ideation can lead to valuable and creative ideas from frontline employees. This leads to improvements in productivity and morale, as employees feel valued and can contribute ideas that bring tangible benefits to the company. Employees have valuable insights into internal processes, customer experience, and identifying sources of waste and ineffectiveness, which can lead to improvements in cost-cutting and continuous improvement. While arranging the practicalities and evaluating the ideas need effort, decentralized innovation work through innovation agents or champions can manage the workload and lead to better results. Overall, asking frontline employees for insights and ideas is a no-brainer investment that can lead to high ROIs in time and money, create an innovative company culture, and help managers better execute the company's strategy.