Editor's Focus: April 2001

"All experience is an arch to build upon." - Henry Adams

One free brain transplant – that’s exactly what the promotional mailer I got from the computer software company offered, and, I have to admit, the idea intrigued me (not to mention amused me).

Just think about the value of such a concept. Who can’t think of some other brain that they’d like to have in their head, even if for just a short period of time? Maybe it’s someone whose intellect and accomplishments you admire, such as a Thomas Edison or Albert Einstein. Of course, maybe you’re looking for a hardly used brain, in which case perhaps some of your ex-employees could serve as donors.

The reality of the situation is that brain transplants are available, figuratively speaking, the only cost is a little bit of your time, and the payoffs can be tremendous. Sound good to you? Then why not gather up a number of your employees and take advantage of their brains? Ask them how the crews can be more efficient in the morning. Solicit suggestions for ways to improve routing. Or, take a real chance and ask them what they think is the dumbest thing your company does.

Their answers may surprise you. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., for example, saved hundreds of thousands of dollars a few years back because of an idea from an hourly employee. Apparently, the company was still wrapping each individual tire in protective plastic before shipping, even though the wrapping was designed to keep the white walls clean. The white walls (thankfully) went away years before, but no one thought to get rid of the plastic. The truth is that such an idea could only come from someone on the front lines, close enough to the situation to see the foolishness of continuing to wrap the tires.

This point has been made evident to me since we’ve been interviewing candidates for an editorial position, and young, talented people are looking to leave their current employer because they "want to be heard" or "want a chance to share ideas." These are valuable brains that companies ignore for any number of reasons, none of which are acceptable.

Are you wasting the brains in your business? Yes, some meetings won’t bear new ideas, and everyone is strapped for time. But imagine the benefits of expanding upon your brain by listening, considering and implementing ideas from those other brains. Unless, that is, yours already contains the elements to make you an ideal donor. How likely is that?