Tips for Building Support for Your Ideas

It's one thing to have a good idea and another to "sell" that idea to others. Whether you want to convince a colleague to collaborate with you on a project, get the people on your work team to adopt a new strategy or sell your boss on the idea of investing in some new software, it's important to be persuasive in your approach. As everyone knows, even the most brilliant ideas can be ignored or resisted. So persuasiveness becomes both a practical skill and a subtle art that can help us build support and cooperation from our coworkers, especially those over whom we have no formal authority.

The Trust Factor Is Key
The qualities most likely to help us succeed as effective persuaders are eloquence, honesty, enthusiasm, commitment and humor. And, clearly, people are more likely to accept our ideas if they like and trust us.

That's why Professor Linda Hill, of the Harvard Business School, recommends that, as a general rule, we should identify our allies in the workplace -- our peers with similar interests and common goals, who will be open to sharing and listening to new ideas.

If you are trying to get others to listen to your ideas and see or do things your way -- and who isn't? -- here are some suggestions.

• Observe what people say and do. Pay attention to how your colleagues take on new challenges. What are their motives and agendas? You may need to tailor your own approach, depending on the message others are conveying. For example, some people make it clear that they need to feel "in the loop" and recognized for their contribution. Others are more cautious: they're more concerned about not rocking the boat than they are about becoming part of something new.

• Start with a trial balloon. Before you try to convince others of the merits of your idea, present it as a question or even a speculation. Instead of saying, "Here's what I believe we should do," try "I wonder what would happen if we tried x, y or z." That way, if your idea gets shot down, you're not shot down with it -- and you can learn a lot about the nature and extent of your opposition. A trial balloon can also be a way to get others to adopt your ideas as their own -- and, if you're willing to give up credit or ownership, this is one of the best ways to move a new initiative along.