What do you do if your creative ideas aren't getting buy-in from stakeholders?

When facing resistance from stakeholders towards your creative idea, leverage their concerns as opportunities for refinement. Take a step back to actively listen and understand their reservations. This not only demonstrates respect but also uncovers valuable insights into their priorities and perceived obstacles. Use this understanding to adapt your pitch, addressing their specific concerns head-on and increasing the chances of gaining their support for your innovative proposal.

Before listening understand your own ideas and the message. Check your ideas by playing devils' advocate. use a black hat on your own ideas no matter how good they look to you

When your creative ideas face resistance, resist the urge to push them further initially. Instead, take a deep breath and truly listen to the stakeholders' concerns. By actively listening, you show respect for their viewpoints and gain valuable intel. This two-way street lets you understand their priorities, the potential challenges they foresee, and allows you to tailor your approach in a way that resonates with their needs.

If creative ideas aren't receiving buy-in from stakeholders, it's essential to reevaluate the presentation of the ideas. This may involve refining the proposal to address stakeholders' concerns, providing additional data or evidence to support the ideas, or actively seeking feedback to understand and address any reservations they may have. Effective communication and flexibility are key to gaining buy-in for creative concepts.

Listen with the intent to understand and not with the intent to reply. If your stakeholders do not seem to share your enthusiasm for the idea, it could be a simple case of misalignment. However if that is not the case and you find yourselves poles apart, listening is non negotiable. Empathy based listening will go a long way in ensuring that you truly understand the needs and wants of your stakeholders and can cater your solutions to address them.

When your creative ideas don't resonate with stakeholders, don't be discouraged! Use their feedback to refine your pitch. Focus on human-centric language, explaining how your idea addresses a real need. Consider the practicalities: can it be done, can it grow, and what are the potential hurdles? By demonstrating feasibility, scalability, and a thoughtful risk assessment, you can show stakeholders the value and potential of your creative vision.

Use a tool like PPCO to refine and redefine your ideas See the long term challenges that your suggested solution is likely to pose and like a good potter shape our ideas

I have found the book The Imagination Machine by Martin Reeves and Jack Fuller useful in addressing this challenge - it's one that's often missed when trying to embed innovation in organizations.

That's a common challenge! If your creative ideas aren't getting traction with stakeholders, consider building a team of champions within your organization. Find allies who are enthusiastic about your vision and can speak to its benefits from different angles. Their backing can add weight to your proposal and resonate with stakeholders who might have different priorities. By collaborating with these advocates, you can increase the chances of your creative ideas getting the green light.

If your creative ideas aren't resonating, focus on reframing your pitch. Instead of just showcasing the "what," explain the "why" in clear, human-centered terms. Highlight how your idea directly benefits stakeholders by achieving their goals. Ditch technical jargon and speak their language, making a clear connection between your creative spark and their desired outcomes.

Do not tell your ideas; sell them. Become a story teller use a skit or dramatize the pain area and the solution you recommend. Old boring PPT decks are out!

Demonstrate the value of an Idea like Dr Fry did with the post it example. When the board was not budging and toeing his idea of the post it; he found a way to garner support etc.