Many of us who toil in the trenches have some definite opinions on our product or service, how we perform our jobs, and what we should do differently, now and in the future. Yet, in an existence that appears to strangely mirror Dilbert's, our company seems to go on as it always did, without any response to our suggestions and complaints.
Sometimes it seems impossible to bridge the gap between our ideal product, workplace, or other aspect of our job, and the decisions and directions that our company takes. Still, we all try to improve our projects or working conditions, even though we have no idea how they became so bad to begin with. The managers, starting with our own boss, resist even the suggestion of change, while our colleagues don't even act as if they notice that things could be improved.
Now then, you think that you can do better? Well, yes, most of us can point to decisions and the individuals who stymie our plans, turn away our suggestions for improvement, and are deaf to our complaints. Despite our best efforts, our ideas for better products and administrative policies bring no change.
Maybe your idea is technical in nature. It might be something as simple as a design adjustment that shaves a few cents off the manufacture of a power supply. Perhaps it could improve the reliability of a piece of testing equipment. Your idea could also be as large as a new product design concept that would thrust the company into a new and exciting market.
Or possibly, there are administrative or lifestyle issues within the company that require improvement. This could range from such policies as office attire or working hours, to improving the ability to hire and retain engineers. In either case, you're attempting to change an existing practice or the status quo. This may sound like a difficult and futile task, though both projects and policies change all the time.
Not all employers and managers lack the ability to understand the need for change. Some are mercifully open to new concepts and ideas, listen and understand employee needs, and do what is in their power to address concerns or bring about better products and services. Often this is a function of the corporate culture, where hiring and promoting have been based on the ability to collaborate and assist subordinates to better achieve their potential. Sometimes, even in the worst corporate cultures, it's possible to find an enclave of openness and honesty.
Unfortunately, a great number of employers don't fall into this category. Many of us have too much experience working within a corporate culture that continues to value the status quo, failing to listen to and accept new ideas and ways of thinking. After all, that's what allows many companies to succeed, while others fail.
Still, even in the most hidebound organization, it's possible for employees to have their ideas for product, service, or workplace improvements be acknowledged, seriously considered, and even implemented. But your ideas will not be accepted if they're presented emotionally. Your ideas must be given only after you have carefully thought about how they can potentially affect the company, its managers and employees, and its customers.
A question that begins "Why can't we ....?" may sound good to you, but it fails to create or pinpoint the need for any action among your colleagues or managers. Most people are fairly satisfied with the status quo, due to its familiarity. People don't have to think too much about what they do today when it's what they did yesterday. This holds true for even seemingly simple things like what time you must arrive at work in the morning.
Instead of beginning with such a question, you have to first identify the reason why you're making a suggestion. Perhaps you will be able to lay the groundwork over a period of days or weeks, but do your homework prior to that. Your idea might have just come to you out of the blue. Then again, you may have thought of it after observing some deficiencies in your product compared to a similar one at a previous employer. Ultimately, your colleagues and managers must be able to relate your idea to a real need if it's to get off the ground.
In the case of a product design change, for example, you should research similar products to see how those implement the design or feature. If a change can provide a competitive advantage, or at least bring about parity, your case can more easily be made. In the situation of administrative policy change, find out what other companies in the area are doing. While none of this means that you should copy other products or companies, they do provide a good perspective for introducing your own ideas.
Keep in mind also that this doesn't mean your idea must address some problem that's apparent to everyone. It's easier, however, to get a receptive audience when you can show how something could be done better and immediately. If your idea hit you out of the blue, you should determine how implementing it will benefit the company in a concrete way. No company will adopt a new concept, spending perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars implementing it, without a definite notion of what payback will come from it.
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