Back to all posts
“Oh, we’ve already tried that before.”
It’s one of the worst things to hear after you share an idea. Ugh. It’s so frustrating. You can tell they’ve already dismissed it.
“But I’m sure this is different!” I would say. And then I would go through the idea in even more depth, sharing the data and the details. Maybe if they knew more about it, they would
see how it would work this time.
It’s taken me a while… but I finally realized this doesn’t work. Why?
Firstly, the brain does not activate excitement, a powerful emotion especially in innovation, when you use logic and data. Logic and emotion “live” in different parts of the brain.
Secondly, if they did try this idea before and it didn’t work for them, then they actually associate some kind of hurt or pain or disappointment with that idea.
And so, to address this… turn on your curiosity and explore the idea that they tried. Understand their experience better. What did they do and what did they learn about why it didn’t work?
And by turning on your curiosity and allowing yourself to step into the past a little bit:
– You allow the other person to share a bit more.
– You learn a bit more.
And in the meantime, you’re also building a relationship a bit more.
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." - Henry Ford The founder of Ford Motor Company
A rejected idea isn’t always about the quality of the idea itself. Remember, people respond to your idea from their past experiences.
To keep your idea moving forward, you need to meet people where they are.
It can feel slower. It can feel frustrating.
Until you remember, that you can actually move farther together.
Work as a leader isn’t just on the idea… it’s also helping to bring people with you.
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
– Henry Ford
The founder of Ford Motor Company
