harvard business review: how to save good ideas.

HBR has published a great article that is informative, inspiring and might be able to help you next time you have a great idea you want to see through. If you step back a moment and realize all of the factors that go into people's own rationale for supporting or shooting down a particular idea, you begin to realize that it often has little to do with the actual idea itself. The reality is that we’re presenting it to human beings, who have anxieties, contrary opinions, and a constant fear of what any interaction might do to their standing in the group. And then stack on top of that a basic skepticism about new ideas. Often when a new idea to is being questioned or attacked we feel we have to overwhelm people with statistics and back-up that supports our reasoning, when often times the best approach is to respond in a way that is not only respectful but very short, simple, clear, and filled with common sense. And be prepared for the attacks. Play the devil's advocate ahead of time and be ready to counter with arguments everyone can understand. Communicating in a simple and clear manner and connecting with people on an emotional level, that is the first step towards success.