How Extremely Successful People Sell Their Ideas Internally (Forbes)

Paul B. Brown, Contributor



Unless you are CEO, or a member of the C-Suite at the very least, you generally can’t convince your organization to create a new structure, but you can persuade it to perhaps attack a given problem from an unusual angle. (“Hey, boss, can we think about this one differently?”) That you can do, especially if what you follow up with is a way to save the organization money, or operate more efficiently.

You can complain “I don’t have any leverage; I can’t change the cubicles, I can’t rewrite the reward system. And the answer is “No you can’t; don’t even try.”But simply through your own thinking, and getting other people to think differently as well, you can have enormous impact without changing any of that stuff even if you are not a member of the board.

The simple fact is “smart is smart,” and we’re talking about you offering up an additional way of viewing problems. You’ll never get in real trouble for doing that, especially if you do it gently by saying “can we think about this in another way?”

With that throat clearing complete, here are seven proven steps you can take in introducing new ideas in your, or any, organization:


1. Link what you want to do to a business imperative. This is just about always fatal if it is overlooked—and it generally is. That’s a shame since it is so easily addressed. Yes, of course, the idea of the rocket backpack that will allow us to fly to work is exciting, but if you work for a company that makes ball bearings it is hard to see the fit. You want to begin the conversation by being able to say something like, “you know, the organization has thebusiness goals of A, B, and C. (You can talk about organizational goals—such as improving team work—as well, but odds are you will find a more receptive audience if you start with business goals.) I’ve got an idea that I think will fit perfectly.”

2. Produce obvious, “local” business results.Don’t focus on organizational or cultural change. Prove the efficacy of your idea in the vocabulary and currency of your organization. Sure, it would be nice if you could change your organization into “the next Google” overnight, a firm that is willing to go wherever the market takes it. 

 But if your boss’ goal is to have the highest performing region in the company, that (a la point number 1) is the place to focus your attention.

3. Make sure there is sufficient autonomy. The unit(s) or individuals working on the new idea must have enough freedom to be different and protected from the “restorative forces” the organization will impose (even in spite of itself.) What this means for you and your project is this. Don’t worry about getting everyone committed. You don’t need to! There are four postures people can adopt: keep it from happening, let it happen, help it happen and make it happen. 

Obviously, you don’t want anyone in the “keep it from happening mode” if you can avoid it. But most people simply have to “let it happen.” You and (and maybe a few others) have to “make it happen.” Your boss (and maybe a few others) have to “help it happen” and create a buffer around you. So, rather than asking “how do I get everybody committed to my idea” keep asking yourself: “What is the least amount of commitment I need to move forward.”

4. Volunteers only, please. Only people who want to can play. This is another important and often over-looked point. It’s not a good idea to compel anyone to work on an initiative. If you do, at the first sign of push back, they are likely to start looking for excuses to go back to doing “their real jobs” (in the way they have always done them.) Changing anything is hard enough without working with people who aren’t committed.

5. No big “kick off” announcements. Focus education, and the like, initially only on the people who need it, i.e. the people who are going to help you implement your idea. Their boss and their boss’ boss? Not so much.

6. Manage expectations. In early phases, keep it low key. Keep it relatively quiet and offer only enough public announcements to allow your sufficient autonomy. Don’t mislead people into thinking that things will change quickly or that their lives will be different (except for the people actually involved in the project.) At all times your mantra should be “under-promise and over-deliver.”

7. Build on successes and manage pace and momentum. Learn what works and what doesn’t. Make sure you’ve got a small bonfire going before you spread the coals. Pick up a couple of small wins before trying to go any further.

Every organization is different, so we will leave it up to you to determine the best way to tweak this approach for yours. But, if you follow this strategy, you will be able to introduce new ideas faster and more effectively, and that is always a good thing.








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