How to Get New Ideas From Employees: The Jaipur Rugs Lesson
Want new ideas from employees? Stop handing them your old format. Jaipur Rugs let a weaver design her own carpet and it won a German Design Award. Here is the lesson.
To get new ideas from employees, stop giving them your old format and let them design the work themselves. Jaipur Rugs tried this with its Manchaha collection, and a weaver named Bimla Devi ended up at a German design award in Frankfurt. In India, 65% of firms invest in soft-skill training, yet many still ask for fresh thinking inside fixed templates.
TL;DR- Asking for new ideas while handing over an old format leaves no room for new ideas.
- Jaipur Rugs normally sent designs to weavers. For Manchaha, the weavers designed their own carpets from leftover yarn.
- Bimla Devi took inspiration from shakarpara, an everyday snack, and her carpet Kamal won a German Design Award in 2018.
- Next time, let one person try their own idea and see what comes back.
Why do employees stop sharing new ideas?
I see this in almost every company I train. Leaders ask the team for new ideas in a meeting, then hand out the work in the same old format, the same template and the same checklist. People fill it in because that is what is rewarded. There is simply no space left to try something new. If your team seems quiet, check the format before you blame the people.
What did Jaipur Rugs do differently with Manchaha?
In the video I explain it this way: the company usually sent the design, and the weavers wove exactly that. In the Manchaha experiment, leftover yarn went to the artisans and, this time, they were to make the designs too. As I say in the video, "कंपनी ने धागे भेजे लेकिन डिजाइन नहीं भेजा" (the company sent yarn but not the design). That one change turned executors into designers.
How did a snack become an award-winning carpet?
A fair question is where the design idea would come from. Bimla Devi of Rajasthan looked at what was around her. She used the shape of a snack called chakkarpara, shakarpara in the company's description, to shape her carpet design, and she named the carpet Kamal. It was her own world, not a brief from head office. The table below sums up the shift from instruction to ownership.
| Old format | Jaipur Rugs Manchaha approach |
|---|---|
| Company sends the design | Weaver creates the design |
| Artisan follows instructions | Artisan draws on her own surroundings |
| Success means matching the brief | Success means an original piece, such as the award-winning Kamal |
| Skill is used, voice is not | Skill and voice both show up |
What does this teach managers about getting new ideas?
Making a carpet you like in your village is one thing; how outsiders respond is another. Kamal won the German Design Award in 2018, and Bimla travelled to Frankfurt to receive it herself. The weaver's hands had always made carpets, and now her own thinking was in front of the world too. Skill was never the missing piece. Permission was. For more on building that permission, read How to Encourage Innovation in Employees: The HP Open Stock Story.
How can you apply this in your team this month?
Here is the question I put in the video: if people fill your format every time, when will their own idea show up? Next time, let one person try their own idea. Give the outcome you want, not the steps. Agree on a check-in date and what a good result looks like. If you lead a team in Pune, my leadership trainer in Pune page shows how we work on this with managers.
What should you watch out for when you give people freedom?
Freedom needs guardrails. Set the budget, the deadline and the quality bar before you step back. Not every idea will work, and that is fine; the aim is to find out what your people can do when the template is not doing the thinking. Praise the attempt in public, share what you learned, and do not go back to the old format the moment an idea is imperfect.
How can a speaker or trainer help your team?
If you want your managers to practise this with real situations, I run sessions on employee voice, delegation and workplace culture for Indian teams. See the motivational speaking options or write to connect@avinashchate.com to bring this session to your team.
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Avinash Chate TEDx Speaker · Founder, The Future Corporate · 11+ yrs experience Avinash has trained Indian Army, BRO, RBI, BARC, JSW Steel and 1000+ corporate leaders across India. His work focuses on leadership development, communication skills, and behavioural training rooted in Indian values and modern business needs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get new ideas from employees?
Give them room to own the format, not just fill it. State the outcome you want, set clear limits on time and budget, and let the person choose the method. Then review the result and share what you learned.
What is Jaipur Rugs Manchaha?
Manchaha is a Jaipur Rugs collection in which artisans got leftover yarn and designed their own hand-made carpets, instead of weaving a design sent by the company.
Who is Bimla Devi?
Bimla Devi is a Rajasthan artisan who designed the carpet Kamal, inspired by the shape of a snack. Kamal received a German Design Award in 2018, and she travelled to Frankfurt to accept it.
How do I start letting my team try their own ideas?
Pick one person and one small task this month. Share the goal, not the steps, agree on a check-in date, and let them try their own approach. Praise the attempt in front of the team, even if the result needs work.
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By Avinash Chate — Maharashtra’s #1 Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker. .