A couple times a year we do an extended weekend staff retreat at Grace Community Church.  This weekend we are headed to Nashville for an all staff planning retreat.  An added twist is that our spouses will join us on Friday night for fellowship and then on Saturday morning for a special brainstorming session.  (We think they may have better ideas than we do!)

I was reminded in planning for this retreat of an important leadership principle:

Some of the best ideas for your organization…

Are probably not at a conference…

They are not in a book…

They are not even at your competition or sister organization…

While these are great places to learn new ways of doing things…

Some of the best ideas for your organization…

Are with the people who know your organization best…

The people already on your team…

Your challenge is to draw those ideas out of them….

(The fact is they may have learned their new ideas from a conference book, or from someone in another organization, but the collective knowledge is critical to moving your vision forward.)

How are you capturing the best ideas for your organization?

For more thoughts on innovation click HERE.

Related posts:

1. 10 Random Ideas To Encourage Innovation
2. 2 Critical Needs For Building a Healthy Team in Your Organization
3. Planning for Sustainment Within an Organization
4. Are You Planning For Your Church’s Future?
5. Are You Taking Advantage of Human Capital?