Any employer presented with feedback from employees that hints at a lack of free-flow of ideas should be concerned on multiple levels related to talent retention, competitive marketplace position and the health of the business. Of course, there are many reasons why some organizations fail at promoting employee ideas from inception to implementation, but we’re going to focus on the three big ones here, culture, process and communications.

It is pretty obvious that innovation powers our modern knowledge economy. Innovation has become the main focal point of companies large and small, and has even led to the creation of popular shows like NBC's Shark Tank. But the question remains – how does one facilitate this innovation? Given that good ideas lie in abundance with a company’s employees, what is the best route for turning them into reality?

Becoming an innovative company is no small feat, so when thinking about first steps looking to a company that has set the standard for innovation can help. Google is known far and wide for their unconventional practices to help boost innovation with their team. While not every Google practice will work in your organization, adopting a few of Google's unique methods can help set your team on the path for success in innovation.

When thinking about what is most important in a thriving technology company, innovation or investment, there is almost a chicken or the egg debate in the works. One company that has always been known for being the cornerstone of innovation and calculated risk is Apple. While Apple has been quite profitable since its humble beginnings in a garage in 1976, they have made a few head-scratching choices over the last few months.

Tech startups are hot right now and every company, regardless of industry is hopping on the "disruption" and innovation bandwagon that startups have been on for years. But can this kind of different and breakthrough thinking have a place in the world of banking where strict regulations and procedures come before all else?

Most innovation does not happen overnight or out of a sheer moment of brilliance. Rather, many of the greatest inventions and innovations have come out of an idea, followed by many iterations of development and research. If your organization is struggling with taking the leap to becoming more innovative, read this blog to learn more about how one of today's most commonly used technologies came out of several iterations of innovative thinking. . .

It's important for teams to be on the same page when going through the innovation process. However, being on the same page doesn't always mean being in agreement. Having one or two people on your team to serve as "Naysayers" or "Devil's Advocates" can help the innovation process by asking tough questions that can prevent long-term problems. Is your team willing to challenge the status quo to create innovations and new ideas that have been fully vetted?

Innovation is important for businesses in any industry. Countless examples of innovation can be seen in technology companies, government, product manufacturing, etc. But one industry that often gets overlooked is the insurance industry. Now, more than ever, insurance companies need to find ways to stand out among the masses, and innovation just might be the solution. 

Technology guru General Electric has dominated the consumer products and innovation space over the last 30 years. But things haven't always been so easy for the multinational conglomerate. Growth for the brand was slow and steady until former CEO Jack Welch decided to take the idea of 'business as usual' and flip it upside-down. Take a lesson from GE and learn how better engagement with your company can lead to innovative success.

2015 has been a big year for the Vocoli team. We have helped our clients to increase collaboration within their teams, become better at problem-solving and boost innovation within their company. After a really solid 2015 we also realized that we've come up with a lot of great blogs on everything from communication and employee evaluation to management and motivation. So, as our gift to you we've compiled the best of our best blogs into one easy-to-access page. Click here to brush up on these topics (and more) so 2016 can be a great year for your company too!

Most companies find value in employee feedback and ideas for innovation. Unfortunately, many don't know how to effectively capture and respond to these great ideas. Stop your company from taking a huge engagement misstep by brushing up on our tips on how and why you should launch a formal employee innovation program at your company.

Working in the tech sector has become increasingly popular over the last 15 years. In LinkedIn's recent release of the most in-demand employers, tech comprises 10 of the top 20 companies. So what is it that makes this sector so appealing? Is it increased pay and benefits . . . or something else?

Disruptive innovation can be scary, companies that are successful and relevant today can easily be forgotten by tomorrow. So how can companies that want to remain relevant stay ahead of the wave of disruptive change and not drown in the undertow?

"Employee engagement" has long been thought of as an HR issue - how to make employees happy, productive and focused on their work. But as the idea of engagement has shifted from focusing on individual employees, to bettering the organization as a whole, it is no longer just the responsibility of Human Resources to foster better engagement.

Ask any business executive what is hot these days and they will sum it up in a word - "innovation." Innovation is the recognized force behind the new technology powering the stock market to all-time highs. And while Innovation seems hotter than ever before, it's important to keep a few things in mind to prevent your innovation boom from going bust . . .

Over the last ten years or so there has been a shift in focus within large organizations from viewing employees as a by-product of doing business to an actual asset to the organization. This was a huge change in perspective because assets are managed in a much different way.

Every organization is looking for the next big concept to help them innovate better, faster and most importantly - better than the competition. One strikingly effective concept, The Hackathon, has allowed behemoths like Facebook and Apple do just that. And while the term "Hackathon" may seem like it in no way could apply to your business, the underlying concepts are surprisingly effective in every industry.

The definition of what makes a great C-level executive often differs immensely. However, one similarity that can be said for most great company leaders is that they all know one key concept to be true - encouraging and acting on employee suggestions is a sure-fire path to increased profitability.

It's not every day you get to present your software to hundreds of innovators and civic leaders at Google's famed Cambridge Office location in Boston but that's exactly what happened last Wednesday.

Boston is home to some of the best technology schools in the country, and has rightly earned a claim as one of the most technologically innovative cities in the country. Which is why we are so excited to be able to attend this week's Mass Innovation Nights at Google with our employee engagement product - Vocoli.

It's true in every organization - different departments and roles have different goals and objectives. However, in well functioning organizations, these groups put their differences aside and work together to fulfill mutually agreed upon goals. In dysfunctional organizations, these groups are at odds with one another, to the detriment of the company as a whole. . .

In a perfect world project management and innovation should go hand in hand. How can we make it so that these two areas are more compatible?

If your organization buys into an innovation management/ideation (idea generation) platform, that’s a great initial step. But then comes the real challenge: How do you foster adoption of the idea (i.e. make sure people use it) and market it internally?

Ten years ago, if you were to present your business card to someone and it said “Chief Innovation Officer” or “Chief Ideation Officer,” you’d likely see an entire room of blank stares and be laughed out of the room.. In today’s world however, titles like that (and entire departments reporting into said title) are becoming more and more normative.

Professionals who work in hospitals are generally pretty smart individuals, who more often than not focus on quality and effectiveness of care. Front-line staff can recognize where things are wasteful or need improvement. And with all those IVs, medications, paperwork, HIPAA restrictions and other challenges, there’s usually a best practice or two that can be refined.

Getting an innovation management tool is a nice start. But if no one uses it, what’s the point? Gaining buy in to get the tool is only half the battle. After you get the big boss to sign off on budget for an innovation management platform, you have to gain buy-in from the actual employees who will be using the tool.

Innovation is a tricky feat. There may not be a secret formula to successful innovation but if you avoid these 6 innovation mistakes, it will come a lot easier.

Ground breaking change. Drastic overhauls. These are some of the phrases that come to mind when you think about innovation. Innovation is a tricky feat and does not have a clear trajectory. But one thing most of us get tripped up on is that innovation is only successful with big and dramatic ideas. This doesn't have to be the case.

These companies used to be considered some of the brightest in their industry but their failure to innovate led to their ultimate (or eventual) demise.

Innovation is what our economy thrives off of and what every company strives to have in their culture. It’s something that we all talk about frequently, yet many organizations fall short in achieving it. Having a diverse team can help overcome some of these obstacles.

The original word “intrapreneur” was coined by Gifford Pinchot III in a 1978 paper written with his wife Elizabeth. It was later popularized by Steve Jobs in a 1985 Newsweek article. Jobs said, “The Macintosh team was what is commonly known as intrapreneurship… a group of people going, in essence, back to the garage, but in a large company.”

We found some excellent examples of intrapreneurship all over the web this week. Still unsure where to start? This Friday Five will point you in the innovative direction.

Boston is known to have one of the top tech scenes in America, making it the perfect place for Innovation Nights! Learn more about this awesome event and help Vocoli take the stage.

With the influx of great new ideas Vocoli generates, things can seem a little overwhelming. You want to make sure that the right contributors are seeing the right information, generating the best discussions possible. That’s why Vocoli offers our “Groups” feature.

The theme of this week’s Friday 5 is communication. We at Vocoli always talk about the importance of collaboration, and you can’t collaborate if you don’t communicate.

At Vocoli, we know that company culture plays a major role in encouraging participation. So we spend a lot of time debating the best ways to create employee engagement.

Recently, FastCompany addressed an important workplace engagement issue: accommodating and engaging introverts. Approximately two-thirds of people are introverted so it’s important to remember that the “person with the best, most creative ideas isn’t always heard.”

With recent statistics from Gallup that tell us 70% of the US workforce is disengaged at work (translation: they're on Facebook all day), employee engagement is on everyone's mind these days, yet it can make a company's leader's head spin to even understand what engagement means? And as importantly, how to tell if someone is actually engaged in their role.

So we looked at some common characteristics that engaged employees have, how to see it, and how to keep it.

Vocoli's customizable workflow management system keeps ideas on track, helping your business grow, innovate and improve.

Here are some key things to consider before implementing your employee suggestion program.

For Sony and 3M, employee curiosity and creativity are responsible for our favorite gadgets and their most successful products. Check out these major innovations that we wouldn’t have without great employees, internal entrepreneurship and second chances.

Innovation. It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot, isn't always understood, but critical in today’s hyper-competitive world.

It’s hard to know where to start. As the saying goes, “The customer is always right!”, but sometimes, the employee also knows a thing or two! And yet, according to an NHS survey, just 51% of staff felt involved or consulted on decisions that could affect their area, team or department.  We believe it’s important to recognize the value of both when pushing your company forward.

Here are ten ways Vocoli can help internally to foster innovation in your business:

Some of the world’s most successful companies were created by, propelled by, or focused on intrapreneurship. For example, Google and 3M encourage employees to spend 15% to 20% of work time pondering innovation outside of assigned duties.

We’ve covered the “who” and “what” of intrapreneurship, and highlighted ways to integrate it. Now, we’ll explore the ever-important “why.”

Most of us know the word “entrepreneur.” And while it’s a common term, not all of us can or want to be one.

Regardless, there’s always room for improvement, whether in our companies or in our lives. Steps, big and small, can’t be implemented until someone brings them to light. So it’s important to ensure that if someone has a good idea, it can be heard.