4 strategies for presenting new ideas at work

Never before in history has there been a period so suitable for people with new ideas. In March 2015, Kickstarter attracted more than $ 1 billion to implement creative projects. SharkTank, which goes to ABC, made the world of venture capital a mainstream (the size of investments amounted to 44 million dollars). And what is the best way to present a new idea in a template and complex corporate environment ?

A new York startup Quirky creates a sensation, crowding the product ideas and quickly implementing them. In 2014, his income exceeded $ 100 million.
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This is how innovators working outside the mainstream can break into the huge corporate world.
These services are great ways to open up new opportunities for innovation without the traditional corporate channels. But what happens if you still have to stay within the usual framework? What is the best way to present a new idea in a template and complex corporate environment? Here are a few key strategies that have helped people achieve the launch of innovative concepts in an extremely cumbersome environment.

1. Match the priorities of key decision makers.

No matter how wonderful you think the idea you have, you need to keep in touch with the plans and goals of the leaders. If, in a competitive environment, they need a product with a hundred calories, and your idea provides for 110, you are not lucky. Your product concept can be quite exciting and innovative. But if it does not coincide with their priorities, it is better to find a way to fit it under them.

2. Retain Flexibility

By introducing a new idea, you bring change. In his theory of "roughness", the mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot pointed out that from a long distance the coastline may look smooth. But the closer you are, the more clearly you begin to understand that in fact it is cut up. Similarly: although at first glance new ideas may seem to be folding, in real life they can be quite “ragged”.

Therefore, to move along the winding path to creative change , you need to maintain flexibility. As with swimming against the wind, you must adjust the course depending on the direction of air flow - the resulting reaction. Every rush is like regression or criticism from leaders. But you must continue to set sail and move in the direction of your goal.

3. Use image

Part of the difficulty in presenting a new idea is to ensure that the audience understands exactly what you are trying to describe in detail. Considering how much effort you put into the idea, you can be upset if someone else doesn’t get carried away with it, doesn’t appreciate it, or even understands what you meant.

One way to influence people is to create an interesting image . By presenting the change as an attractive illustration, you help the audience understand and appreciate the concept.

Here is an example of this action taken from the real life of the author.

In the early 80s, I was hired by a Ford Quality Task Force to help them clarify a new idea at all levels of the organization. They wanted to demonstrate how important a company’s transition from fragmented and rigid rules to a culture of interaction and flexibility is.

I invited them to show footage from the history of Ford - pictures that emphasize that change has traditionally been part of the greatness of the company. Greatness, the source of which was the change in the car market with the advent of ModelT; the greatness dictated by the change in American industry with the introduction of the assembly line assembly line; and the greatness created by the introduction of a wage of $ 5 per day, which allowed workers to purchase the cars they produce. The image was interesting, a new idea caught on, and the transformations were launched.

4. Don't worry too much.

In corporate culture, the larger the idea, the thinner the line between inspiration and anxiety. A little excitement doesn't hurt: you want to show that you are passionate about your idea and really believe in it. But if you are too excited, then cross the line and trigger the alarm.

Where you see an amazing opportunity, some people may make out a perilous offer.

For example, the author of the article hired a fast-growing chain of grocery stores to help them rethink the process of approving the construction of new outlets. The network executives were concerned that their project committee was missing out on extremely important details of the proposals due to overuse of presentations. In their opinion, too much excitement was equal to extremely high risk. Therefore, the author helped the company to create a calm process of reviewing proposals, which minimized the emotional factor and expanded the analytical base, which increased their confidence in the feasibility of betting on new stores.

Remember: Big ideas equate to high risk. Present your concepts convincingly, not passionately.

Creating innovative ideas is a great way to make a huge contribution to your company. And the observation of the implementation of their own proposals can bring great inner satisfaction. But to maximize your chances of success, you need to be consistent. Following these strategies, you will not only achieve the desired result, presenting innovations to your company, but also demonstrate that you are a progressive leader - a bright talent, which awaits a long way.

PS We recommend another article on the topic - Lessons from success and thoughtful solutions from Mozart, Picasso and Kobe Bryant .

The author of the translation is Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult .