CU*Answers announced that its employee-driven “Be an Innovator” program reached its first year mark this month.  Through its first year the program has developed to include “Be an Innovator” Idea and Networking lunches and an Employee Idea form.  The bi-monthly lunches encourage collaboration and provide employees the opportunity to present their own innovative ideas or ways to improve processes at CU*Answers.  The Employee Idea form allows employees to submit ideas for review and ultimate approval by the CEO.

“The “Be an Innovator” concept was first discussed in December last year,” said Alycia Meyers, coordinator of the group.  “It is very exciting to see the level of involvement in the program.  Almost fifty percent of CU*Answer employees have attended a lunch or have submitted an Employee Idea form.”

“The Be an Innovator program has really developed during the year, first starting with the kick-off lunches in January and moving company-wide in March.  Then the Employee Idea form was added in the summer.” Meyers added.  “Since May we have discussed over twenty ideas at the lunches and six employees have submitted Employee Idea forms.  I know of at least five larger ideas that have come out of the program that will be implemented this business year.  I am very happy with the results of the first year.”

Randy Karnes, CEO at CU*Answers said about the group, “The innovators group at CU*Answers is designed to challenge to our corporate designs for innovations.  We value it as a volunteer-employee-challenge to the ways we drive change into our network.  A group to innovate on the processes of making things happen everywhere we can.  It takes practices to put ideas out there, to challenge entrenched, and to lead in bringing things to market both internally and externally – the innovators group project is to build that experience and for generations of CU*A participants to take ownership of the responsibility to champion our future.”

“Be an Innovator” lunches are scheduled every two months.  The next event is scheduled in January.  The next submission deadline for the Employee Idea form is the end of February.