Before going to present your idea to management, it is to your advantage to start by talking about it to your colleagues, then to your team leader, for example, to see their reactions. Maybe you can even start doing small tests related to your idea in order to see the results and readjust the shot accordingly. “When it comes to innovation, it’s good to interact with others, who will enrich the idea,” says Francine Masson, who heads the innovation management firm MPII and who is also a member of the Technology and Innovation Consulting Network (RCTi) of the Association for the Development of Research and Innovation in Quebec (ADRIQ).
It is also possible that your idea will not be unanimous. Do not be afraid of “abrasive creativity”, according to Francine Masson, also a lecturer in innovation management at the École de technologie supérieure (ETS). “You have to accept that your idea can cause friction around it,” she says. And this, even if it threatens your ego. Because if you’re only surrounded by like-minded people, the status quo is guaranteed! It is by exchanging with people who have different visions from yours that you will be able to find different and really interesting solutions. »
Timing is also important when coming up with an idea. “Listening to a proposal requires cognitive effort and it has been proven that people are less likely to consider a new idea if they are exhausted,” says Jean-François Harvey, innovation management expert at HEC Montreal. So try to avoid making a proposal at the end of the day or at the end of a quarter, for example. “It’s also better to present it in private rather than in public,” adds Jean-François Harvey. It has also been shown that people respond better to an idea presented to them as an opportunity than as a reaction to a threat. You also benefit from adapting your speech to the person you are talking to, explaining to him how your idea will go in the direction of his interests. »
Even if you’re convinced your idea is great, expect it to move slowly. “Change won’t happen overnight and sometimes organizations are slow, but don’t get discouraged,” says Jean-François Harvey. A recent study showed that even if ideas were not discussed, considered or accepted at the time of their proposal, they were often brought back later and made their way through the organization. »
However, you may realize that your manager always blocks your ideas because he is very risk averse, argues Jean-François Harvey. “You could then try to emphasize your need to continue learning and developing your skills not only in routine activities, but also in new projects,” he says. Managers are evaluated on their leadership and on their ability to enable their employees to continue to learn and grow. A good organization knows that the knowledge and experiences that come from the bottom of the hierarchy have a lot of value, because they touch the heart of the needs of the organization to improve in order to remain competitive. »
