PPB October 2020

STEP SIX: Troubleshoot. Your proposal went great, but the feedback you received was vague or confusing. You spent time preparing your pitch and have eliminated any issues in your communication, so consider other issues that may be afoot. Did you choose a bad time to approach the idea? Could you try again at a time of year when the workload is lower, or the company has fewer pressing priorities? Does your supervisor or others who heard your idea have rigid opinions that contrast with your idea? How can you challenge those opinions in an objective way? Another potential problem: your audience wasn’t the correct team to pitch to in the first place. If that’s the case, ask your audience if they agree with your idea and if they would be willing to voice their support to the appropriate team, or help you secure a meeting with them. The biggest potential problem is if your supervisor is not open to receiving your idea. If you find yourself in a workplace that doesn’t value the input of its employees, or discourages rocking the boat for any reason, you may want to consider finding a new job. STEP SEVEN: Start over. If your idea doesn’t go over as well as you had hoped, don’t be discouraged. Some things will just never work out for reasons that are out of your control, and it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try again when you have another great idea. Make sure you review any specific feedback you receive and make note of information that could be applied to new ideas. Finally, be the kind of listener you want to pitch ideas to. In meetings, practice active listening whenever someone else is pitching an idea, ask questions and give constructive feedback. This will make others more likely to listen to you in the future. Kacie Brinner is the information services project supervisor and Prop 65 SME at industry business services provider SAGE and a volunteer leader with SPARK, the industry network for young professionals. | OCTOBER 2020 | 19 INNOVATE