1 simple idea to communicate your ideas better

How do you get your ideas across to your colleagues and even more importantly, how do you get their buy-in?

We are all guilty of thinking our ideas are the best thing since sliced bread. The idea is so brilliant there can’t possibly be any downsides. This may be true, but in most cases we haven’t looked at the idea from any other position but our own.

Techniques like SWOT Analysis and de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats force an individual to look at their idea from more than one perspective. It makes them look at the negatives as well as the positives. In groups, the techniques cut out the emotion attached to specific ideas as well as creating opportunity to better the idea.

Often others can see additional values in an idea but only if the environment is right. So how do you get your ideas across successfully? Create an environment of collaboration and exploration. This is quicker than the lengthy process of argument and debate. And who knows, your idea may even be better by the time the group has finished with it…

Has this happened to you? Leave a comment below…