How to Validate your Team’s Ideas, Even When You Cant Implement Them
Photo by NIKLAS LINIGER on Unsplash
As a leader working in a big corporation, you might find yourself at a roadblock every time your team suggests an idea for a new protocol or incentive: that roadblock is corporate policy. It can be really disheartening for your team to constantly have their ideas turned down and can stop them from sharing altogether. Brainstorming and problem-solving are two essential skills that every leader wants to encourage their teams to learn - so how do we do that in such an environment? I have 5 things you can do to help your team feel their ideas are validated and heard even without implementation.
5 Ways to Validate Your Teams Ideas
Don’t Shut Them Down
When they share an idea you know is unimplementable, don’t shut it down immediately. “We can’t do that” can be a very demotivating thing to hear when sharing ideas and will make them unlikely to share in the future. Instead, ask them to explain it further. Take interest in how they think it would work, what effect it would have on the team, and what problems they could encounter. This is great for encouraging problem solving and they might even come to their own conclusion that it’s not a realistic suggestion according to policy.
Let it Play Out
So they suggest something reasonable, but you know corporate won’t implement it. Don’t shut their idea down. Instead, pass their idea to whoever is next in the chain of command and let them turn it down. Your team will most likely be disappointed and frustrated, but since you showed that you cared enough to take action they will be more likely to share their ideas with you in the future.
Be Transparent
Sometimes it’s not you, it’s corporate. Companies often have a lot of policies in place that can make it difficult to implement new procedures, processes, or incentives. The important thing is to be honest about why you can’t implement it. Make them feel seen and heard about their idea, why it would have a positive impact but explain the policy that prevents it. Coming to an understanding can help your team feel that it’s you and them vs the policy and not them vs you and the policy.
Brainstorm an Alternative
Try and brainstorm an alternative with them - something you can implement. Whether it’s a completely different idea or a smaller version of their original, see if you can work with them to find something doable. The important part here is that you are involving your team in the process so that they feel their ideas are heard and the end result, no matter how small, was thought up with their help. Do not try to change their idea on your own without consulting them as you might lose the core desire or need that was at the center of their idea.
Hype Them Up
Encourage your team to share ideas by sharing your excitement for them. Bring energy into your brainstorming sessions and enthusiasm when someone suggests something. Even if they can’t have their idea implemented, that positivity and energy will have an undeniably positive impact on them.
Conclusion
Navigating corporate policies and encouraging innovation can be challenging for any leader. The most important aspect of these strategies is that your team feels heard and that their ideas have been enthusiastically received by their leader. By implementing some of these strategies, you’re one step closer to your team feeling validated and heard, which creates a workplace culture where innovation and collaboration thrive.
