4 Steps to Getting Your Great Idea Considered by Management
Posted by Hoyt Mann on Tue, Jan 06, 2009 @ 09:37 PM
You have had a brilliant idea that would make your job better, easier, faster, insert your choice of adjective here. But when you tried to tell people about it, everybody said, "Nice idea, talk later." and they never do. Or they say, "No." and they walk away. Or worst and most common of all, you are completely ignored.
Don't they know how great a self service portal is? Don't they understand how much simpler your life would be if all those niggling little busywork tasks could be taken over by the computer? Can't they see how happy the staff would be if the customer support system was less cumbersome?
Maybe it is your approach.
The people who need to hear your idea don't want to work out why it is so brilliant and worthy of their time and the company's money. They have a billion other, more important, things to do. The fact that everyone in your cubicle row thinks it would be great is not going to cut it.
You have some work to do if you want to be heard. Here is a list of steps that can help get you an audience.
1. Document, document, document. What are you documenting? The flaws in the process you want to improve. Provide proof positive that what you say is broken really is. You know the rule: If it isn't written down, it didn't happen.
2. Show how this problem hurts the Bottom Line. This will get their attention if nothing else will. Does it waste employee time? Are deadlines being missed? Are customers being lost? Is inventory going missing? Show where the system is broken and link it to loss of money.
3. Find the solution. Now that you have documented the problem and how the company loses dollars every day because of it, you have to do even more. You must find a solution to that problem. One that is feasible for your company to implement, not the one that calls for a Cray Supercomputer or for the company to move to the beach(maybe that could come later).
4. Tell the person who can say "Yes". Presenting all your hard-earned work to someone who does not have that power simply wastes everyone's time. Try to find the person who can actually get the plan funded and implemented.
A piece of advice here. If it is agreed that the problem will be fixed but your idea is not the one implemented, don't take it personally.... At least not where you can be seen. We all think OUR idea is best, but even when it really is, another, less effective approach may still be the one approved. Maybe it was the boss's, in which case, definitely don't look offended in public. Smile so no one can tell you are really gritting your teeth. And no whining, no matter what. Nobody likes a whiner. (I have tried to get my kid to understand that but so far, no soap.)
These four steps are good for any idea that needs someone else to agree to it. Your best buddy since second grade might have faith in you, but everyone else will want proof.
Thank you for reading our blog. Leave comments and don't forget to use the social bookmarking widgets to spread the news!