In a recent tip, I wrote about the importance of letting ideas flow from team members and not criticizing any idea, no matter how lame.

Shortly after publishing it, I came across an article from the National Federation of Independent Business: Lessons Your Small Biz Can Learn from Google.

The article discussed Google’s “Project Aristotle” which was a multi-year, multi-million dollar effort to study why some teams are more effective than others. The result? Teams who felt “psychologically safe” performed better than others. Skills, talent, and personality were not the make-or-break criterion for optimal performance.

The article further describes a small business owner who, as a result of the study, implemented a “no bad ideas” policy in his business. Flynn Zaiger, CEO of Online Optimism, found that once this policy was implemented, meetings were no longer management talking to one another. Creativity and ideas flowed from all his staff.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Easy Web Tip #238: Good moneymaking ideas, including for your online marketing, can come from anyone in your company. Just help staffers feel psychologically safe and you’ll get those golden ideas.