How often do you bring up an idea only to have it fall on deaf ears? Unfortunately, this seems to be a particularly frequent, and destructive, occurrence in the workplace.

Very often, though, this is not because the idea is bad, but because employees don't sell their ideas to their company properly.

The key to getting heard is to understand your organization's goals, the decision maker's concerns and style and the specific problem your idea is meant to address. Being clear, confident and flexible, saying what you mean and leveraging office politics are the key ingredients to having your ideas really heard.

1) Understand the Other Side. Understanding the other side's motives and goals is the first principle of having your ideas heard and considered. This includes understanding the expectations of the decision maker — whether it's your boss, colleague, partner or client.

Moreover, understand the organization's purpose, priorities, principles and, of course, its funding processes. "You'll get higher-level people involved if your idea is aligned with the strategic ideas of the organization," writes Penelope Trunk at Brazen Careerist.

2) Solve a Problem. "The only way to sell something to someone is to solve a problem for them," Trunk writes. "You need to really understand the needs of the person you are trying to get approval from."

Learn what kinds of information the decision maker wants to have and when. "Anticipating needs is a great way to open the door when you have ideas you want heard, because you have shown a sensitivity to the needs and requirements of your boss's job," suggests training and consulting firm Bacal & Associates.

Consider what Harvard Business Review calls "appreciative moves," which highlight common interests to help others save face, keep the dialogue going and solicit new perspectives. "Appreciative moves alter the tone or atmosphere so that a more collaborative exchange is possible. They shift the dynamics [...] away from the adversarial — helping parties to save face — and thus build trust and encourage dialogue."

3) Consider Your Timing. "If possible, don't present a key idea when the boss is under the gun or under pressure unless the idea relates specifically to the reason the boss is under pressure," Bacal & Associates advises.

"For example, if your boss has a key meeting coming up, approaching him/her an hour before with an idea is not the best tactic," the Canadian firm notes. "Better to approach a week ahead; close enough to be useful at the meeting, far enough away to get proper attention."

4) Be Clear and Confident. Don't be wishy-washy. Instead of bouncing around the issue, confront it head on and offer a clearly stated message. By being direct (but not aggressive), you have a better chance of being heard. Work out in advance what it is you want to say, and then say it as clearly and directly as you can: no frills, no overly long explanations, no beating around the bush, no mixed messages. Send one well-thought-out, undiluted message.

And be confident. "You have a better chance of being heard if you project a confident image," writes the staff at Canadajobs.com. "Confidence is [...] the belief that what you say has value and you should be listened to. If you feel derailed, make sure you bring the conversation back to the issue at hand."

5) Play the Game Right. If you've followed step one, you've likely realized just how complex your organization or department's decision-making process is. When your ideas fall on deaf ears, rather than complain about it, try to leverage office politics to sell your ideas.

Package your idea in a way that makes the decision maker look good in the eyes of his or her own boss. Making your boss or colleague look good is one way to build credibility and confidence in you.

"Far from being exercises in manipulation, understanding your counterpart's interests and shaping the decision so that the other side agrees to a proposal for its own reasons" are the keys not only to jointly creating and claiming sustainable value from a negotiation, as Harvard Business Review has said, but also to having your ideas heard and considered.

6) Be Flexible. Have realistic expectations for your proposal. "As much as you deserve to be heard, others deserve a disagreeing viewpoint," Canadajobs.com notes. "Communication, [by] its nature, takes at least two people. And no two people are alike.

"By being flexible, you invite the other person to see your viewpoint as well," the online career resource continues. "On issues where you can compromise, try to. It will go a long way to showing goodwill to the other party in your conversation."

It goes without saying that your idea won't always be acted upon. But that is only half the point. Initially, you want your idea to be heard, to be considered. If the decision maker doesn't find your idea appealing at that moment, rather than pursuing it vigorously, put it on hold and return to pitching it at a later date. In the meantime, continue to develop the business case for it.

The ultimate purpose here, after your idea is heard, is to get the other person to choose what you want — in this case, your great idea — for his or her own reasons. Qualify your idea's prospective impact. Develop your "sales" strategy. Organize your justification. And make your pitch.

See also:

They Shoot Good Ideas, Don't They?

5 Ways to Manage Your Boss

Office Politics: Playing the Game with Dignity

Resources

How to Get Your Company to Listen to Your Ideas
by Penelope Trunk
Brazen Careerist, April 11, 2007

Influencing Your Boss — Getting Heard
Bacal & Associates/Work911.com, 2006

Six Habits of Merely Effective Negotiators
by James K. Sebenius
Harvard Business Review, April 1, 2001

Breakthrough Bargaining
by Deborah M. Kolb and Judith Williams
Harvard Business Review, Feb. 1, 2001

How to Communicate to be Heard at Work
by Canadajobs.com staff