You’ve got a great idea: a way to save the company money; a more efficient solution to a problem; a market or opportunity that has gone untapped in the past.
But maybe you have been in this same spot before. You had a great idea for saving your company money and time (perhaps with NetSimplicity’s scheduling software). You walked down the hallway to the boss’s office, PowerPoint at the ready, brimming with enthusiasm and certainty that your idea is going to make a positive (and recognizable) change for your organization. You gave your presentation, and while your boss seemed impressed, nothing ever happened. Your idea was never implemented!
What went wrong? Consider that where you failed wasn’t in the idea (genius!), or the presentation (stunning!), but in not developing enough momentum for your idea by getting other coworkers and stakeholders invested in the outcome. In other words, you didn’t make it matter to other people.
Think about this quote from long-time TV host Johnny Carson: “Talent alone won’t make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is, are you ready?”
Being “ready” often includes other people. After all, what you are trying to do is enact a change in an entire structure, which will affect other people. As such, you often need to get their buy in if you want to actually get around to changing things.
How can you get others on board? Start with explaining how it would help those in your office, individually. For example, if you are trying to implement a new business calendar, explain to coworkers how automating room management saves them both time and hassle. To your boss, explain how it saves money on the bottom line (make sure to say “bottom-line”: bosses love this!).
Getting people on your side doesn’t only make your idea easier to present, but also keeps it present. If you aren’t the only one who thinks what you came up with is worthwhile, the chances of it falling by the wayside are much lower. Read more about ways to boost your influence with this white paper from NetSimplicity.
