By Sandy Johnson, Senior Consultant and Executive Coach
“One at a time. Put your hand up and wait to be called.”
This is how it starts at school, and I sometimes wonder how this type of waiting behaviour gets embedded into our psyche as we get older.
How many great ideas and insights get lost because there isn’t an immediate opportunity to express them? Or why might we feel reluctant to share them in a professional setting?
How often do you keep your ideas to yourself for any of the following reasons?
- Your ideas are half-baked, and you’re not sure how they’re going to evolve.
- You think your idea has merit, but wonder if others will agree. And, what if they don’t?
- You don’t have enough knowledge or evidence to ‘back up’ your idea.
- You’re waiting for just the right moment to share it.
- You want to make sure your audience will be receptive.
If any of these ring true for you, consider the alternative. Listening to your internal indecision or uncertainty may leave valuable opportunities on the table. They won’t even make it onto the table.
Sharing unfinished ideas can lead to both unexpected and positive outcomes. A half-formed concept may find a collaborator who has the missing piece to turn it into a viable project.
Or you’ll hear another perspective that can help move the idea along.
The ability to express your ideas is a critical part of adding value in a professional capacity. Whether you’re the newest member of your team or a long-tenured leader, you’ll be evaluated by the ideas you offer. Keeping them to yourself doesn’t help you or your team.
History shows that some of the best ideas have emerged from conversations where initial thoughts are exchanged, refined, and expanded upon by others.
Sharing ideas, even in the earliest of stages, fosters creativity and drives innovation in ways that solitary thinking doesn’t.
There are times when a formal, well-thought-out presentation is necessary, but you won’t get to that stage if you don’t start sharing your ideas when they’re half-baked.
Communicating ideas at this stage isn’t weak. It demonstrates confidence about what can happen when one allows others to take part in constructing and enhancing our ideas. It encourages community and collaboration, which is what the world needs more of.
Brené Brown’s philosophy is that vulnerability is good for you, or as she puts it, “vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage.” I couldn’t agree more.
The things that make us feel afraid and vulnerable are the very ones that will help us and others grow. Go ahead and share your brilliance today and see what happens.
Put your hand up. The world needs to hear your thoughts.