Using crowdsource software is a very innovative idea. While innovation is key to making a business successful, it is also very difficult to implement. It means that there has to be a culture change, in which everybody needs to learn that everyone has a voice. And, with crowdsource software, this means accepting that strangers from outside the organization also have an equal voice. It quickly becomes clear, therefore, that it can be very difficult to do this. In fact, the only way to be successful with this is by making sure that your organization’s goals and strategies are aligned with the idea of innovation, and listening to each other and to others.
Aligning Crowdsourcing with Your Strategic Goals
Only when your strategic goals are aligned with the idea of crowdsourcing will it be successful. It is recommended, therefore, to create a company-wide crowdsourcing strategy, and making sure it is available to everybody. In so doing, you make sure that everybody knows what is expected of them, and what you expect of others. Your management team has to be on the ball when it comes to this form of innovation. They have to embody the company culture, and if that means that crowdsourcing becomes an integral part of your organization, then that is what they have to do. Hence, make sure you have regular meetings with your senior management team, to make sure they know what is expected of them, and to check that they are implementing the strategy.
You have to understand that using crowdsourcing software will require you to invest your resources, both in terms of time and money. Before you can write a strategy, therefore, you need to know what your goals are, and what you expect to happen from your software. The strategy has to be aligned with the overall goals of your organization. A good strategy is five to 10 pages long and it takes some time to develop. Give it at least a month, so that you make sure that it will be functional.
Elements of a Crowdsourcing Strategy
The strategy you create should:
- Highlight the goals of your organization. You develop this by speaking to your executive team, who understand your goals.
- Create a charter for crowdsourcing. You should take at least a week to write this charter and try to not make it longer than five pages. In the charter, there should be full clarity on the scope, funding, composition, proposed outcomes, responsibilities, priorities, missions, and purpose of your new initiative.
- Define the context of your crowdsourcing platform. This will tell you what you expect it to do, but also where you draw the line. Make sure that insights and capabilities are listed in here. The context of the platform needs to be fluid, and changes should be made regularly.
- Create expectations that are realistic. Keep talking to your executives to make sure that expectations are still realistic (make sure they are not too low either!), and that they are being met.