If you have been working in one place for a sustained period of time, you will know every little detail of how it works. If you are new to a place some things that don’t make sense will immediately jump out at you. Either way, you are in a great position to suggest a change that could make things work better. If you have an idea to help improve any aspect of your work; ensuring you present your idea in the right way is half the battle to achieving success.
The first step to getting your idea across the line is to think about every single aspect of it. While the headline of your idea might improve productivity by 10% and sound like an easy win, it may present obstacles in other departments or create issues. If your boss has to deal with these issues they either won’t do it or won’t be as passionate about the idea when they do. To ensure you have done everything to make your idea a success think of every aspect that could go wrong and present a solution. Leave no stone unturned.
If you have thought about your idea thoroughly it will require more than a quick chat to discuss it. If you pop by your manager’s office and say “hey have you got a second” they will not be ready for a lengthy discussion about how to get your idea off the ground. Instead, pop in and ask if they have time at some point that week to discuss an idea you have, in detail. This has already created the expectation that what you are bringing to the table needs to be listened to. They will come ready.
Ensure you are in a confident and comfortable mood for that chat. Test your idea with colleagues that you can trust and see if it does well. Your boss may have criticisms or issues with the idea and that is perfectly fine. Don’t give up. Listen to what they say and see if there is a way around it. Give it your best and that idea will be up and running in no time.