Speak up

You have a great idea: a product tweak that will save your company money, a process change to increase your team's productivity, or a plan for heading off a looming crisis. There's just one snag: you're not sure how to approach your boss about it, or worse, you've tried and failed to get the attention of higher-ups. Despite abundant research on the value of bottom-up innovation and problem-solving, many workers still feel stifled about giving their bosses feedback or making suggestions. One survey of United States employees found that a full 70% weren't comfortable raising an issue with their boss even when it was important, and a landmark 2003 study found that 85% of employees withheld their ideas because they were afraid to speak up. Additional research shows that even when employees do speak up, their suggestions usually don't lead to change. For example, an Accenture study showed that nearly three-fourths of ideas submitted through corporate online suggestion tools languished and were never implemented. Another study at a hospital found that of 200 ideas shared by employees, most were initially rejected and fewer than a quarter were ever implemented. For the past two decades, I've studied how employees offer solicited and unsolicited recommendations and how managers respond. Obviously, there are many reasons why ideas, including those of senior leaders, fail to make it to implementation. But too often good ideas are ignored or rejected. I've found that two factors are key to a successful pitch: having the confidence to make your suggestion and knowing how to frame it to get the best reception from your boss. Some managers will be more unapproachable and unresponsive than others, but research shows that the majority are more open to ideas and suggestions than you might imagine provided they are approached effectively.