Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor. I'm the founder of Lead Above Noise, where we help leaders activate performance and engagement without burnout. Whether it's a bootcamp, a keynote, or a pulse check, we help teams achieve meaningful change. If that's something your organization could use, reach on out. Okay, so today's episode is going to be about getting your ideas really heard by the right people, but it's gonna start with Ruth, my dog.
She is the love of my life and a little bit the bane of my existence because here's the thing, I'm not a dog person or I wasn't until my children managed to crack my soul open. Here's what happened. My kiddos always wanted a dog, and I was a hard no on this. I held my position for years until one day out of nowhere. My girls got together and hit me with a literal slideshow presenting their case.
It touched on the power of teamwork, like they would work together to care for a dog of responsibility, of physical activity from walking a dog. They had researched local vets and dog walkers. In other words, they made it kind of a no-brainer for me. They found my motivation. They got ahead of some of the questions they knew I'd have, and they answered them. Did they manipulate me? Well, yes, yes they did, but ultimately, I give them credit.
They were smart. Just don't ask me who actually takes care of the dog today because, well, we can't win 'em all my kids stumbled onto the right formula for getting their idea heard truly by me. How often at work do we just throw out ideas expecting them to land without really thinking about how to position them for a yes? That's what we're talking about today, how to make sure your ideas actually get heard and acted on. So let's jump in. It starts with knowing your audience.
My kids were in love with the idea of getting a dog. For them, it was about something to snuggle, to boss around, to show off to their friends, and yet, if you'd watched the slideshow, they'd prepared for me. You'd have heard all about teamwork and responsibility and exercise because they know that these are values that I hold and I was the one who needed convincing.
So for you and your idea, know what you love about it and stay true to that, but also think long and hard in advance about whose support or endorsement or permission you need. What's top of mind for them? What problems or challenges are keeping them up at night? What opportunities are they striving to capitalize on? What are they frustrated by or bored with, and what have you seen captivate them or hold their attention? This isn't about manipulation, it's about choosing your positioning wisely.
Often our ideas get overlooked because the key decision makers just haven't been convinced. Maybe you're imagining a new product feature. It's cool, it's digital. It's something you know your friends would respond well to. Before you make the pitch pause and ask yourself, how does this address something that's been on the minds of senior executives at work? Are they looking to close a profit gap to attract a younger market? Consider how to build this into your pitch before you start.
Next, strip out the risk. People don't resist new ideas because they're bad. They resist them because they sound risky or complicated or like extra work. The trick, it's make your idea feel easy and relatively low risk. For my kids, it was some of the upfront homework they did finding care and vets and food because they know the last thing I'm looking for is more work on my plate. Maybe for you, you use pilot language.
Instead of saying, let's change this whole process, you start with, what if we tested a small version of this first? Maybe you tie it to something that's already working. Instead of making it sound brand new, which can trigger some anxiety, connect it to something the team is already doing. Well, you know how we're already doing X and customers are loving it. What if we applied that approach here and make it about them?
People engage with ideas that solve their problems instead of pitching your idea as an abstract improvement, this could save us time or money, or just make life easier. Next, make sure you tell a story.
My kids knew that my resistance was largely about the inconvenience of having a dog, of not being able to spontaneously leave all day and having to manage vet appointments, and yet they'd done some research to address those points, but also they showed me some absurdly amazing and no, I was not crying. Videos of dogs being reunited with their owners after being lost because they knew they needed to hook me on an emotional level.
People need data, but that's not what they remember, and that's not what persuades them. If you want your idea to land, attach it to a compelling story that resonates with your audience. Make it personal. Instead of jumping straight to your solution, start with a real life scenario where you could see your idea having an impact. Make it visual people process stories better when they can picture them. Use an analogy or an image or share a quick video and tie it to a shared experience.
If everyone in the room has struggled at some point with this thing, talk about how it is addressing a collective and common pain point that we all know and finally, close with action. Even if people love your idea in the moment, they are likely to forget about it as soon as the meeting ends. This is why follow up is key. Did I mention my kids had found the breed they wanted and presented me with contact information of a breeder?
Ugh, it was awful. Anyway, here's how to keep your idea moving without feeling pushy, casually reference it in future conversations. Hey, I've been thinking more about that idea we talked about. Here's one way we could test it. Maybe find an early champion before a big meeting. Run your idea by someone who can back you up after the conversation and offer to take the first step.
If people hesitate, say, Hey, I can put together a quick draft of an action plan to get us started, because once momentum starts, they'll be more engaged. If you've been feeling frustrated by your ideas feeling overlooked at work, give this approach a try.
You'll be surprised how much more traction you might land when you frame things a little differently, and if your team could use support in communicating ideas effectively, engaging in real problem solving, or driving meaningful change, reach out to me, rachel@leadabovenoise.com. Whether it's a bootcamp, a keynote, or a pulse check, I'd love to help. Join me next week for another great episode. Until then, visit my website@leadabovenoise.com.
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