From “Eureka” to innovation, the key is listening

Archimedes has a lot to answer for. With a scream of “Eureka!” he set into motion the idea that all discoveries come with a flash of insight, a moment of revelation. The story of Archimedes is likely apocryphal, but it resonates, nonetheless. Ideas can come to you in an instant like a veil removed, a mystery suddenly revealed, or the proverbial lightbulb flashing overhead. In our industry, ideas are often generated within teams, and rather than the flash of insight that seems nearly cartoonish by comparison, our ideas are often an extension of existing research or procedure, systematically developed over time by people whose entire background rests on the scientific process. Yet, all these insights start with a single idea. It’s what we do with these initial ideas that often determines the difference between an innovative, forward-thinking company, and a stagnant one.

A lot of potentially great ideas are dismissed early on because it’s easy to pick holes in new concepts that haven't yet matured. At the beginning of my career, I was unbelievably frustrated by a particular manager who would shoot down every idea I had, often before taking the time to listen to the concepts. I distinctly remember feeling stupid and embarrassed at how easily my ideas were dismissed and I was reticent to offer my thoughts as time went on. I wasn’t offered guidance on how to improve my ideas, just given an exposition of the flaw. I decided then and there to be a different kind of leader – something, as it turns out, that’s more easily said than done.

In my current role, I realize that I have the power to quickly kill ideas. If someone brings an idea to me and I say “no,” it will likely die on the spot. For this reason, I try to make sure I hear an idea in its entirety, not only so that I can understand it, but also so that the person or team providing me with this fragile, new idea feels encouraged and empowered to continue brainstorming this and other new ideas. I also want to hear the next iteration of the idea to give it the chance to mature and benefit from feedback.

Here are three tips, based on my personal experience, to lay the groundwork to improve idea generation and innovation within your organization. I am a firm believer that the best ideas can come from any of us but cannot be realized without all of us. Innovation is a team sport, though perhaps not as notable as yelling “Eureka!”.

Provide employees access and a platform for their ideas to be heard

As a leader, it’s important to remember that most of the impactful, innovative and insightful ideas come from employees. Yet, research has shown that employees don’t share their ideas for several reasons: they don’t think leadership wants to hear them, they are worried that their ideas will be rejected, or they don’t think their voice will inspire change. Leaders can overcome these barriers by providing employees with platforms to regularly share and process their ideas, including innovation-focused meetings, companywide calls for ideas, or 1:1 meetings. Recognition awards to celebrate great ideas can also be hugely motivating to individuals and teams. But the biggest motivator is actually seeing your idea implemented!

Listen to understand

Let’s face it – most of us can be terrible listeners. This isn’t surprising since no one teaches us how to listen deeply. We are taught to listen passively, just waiting for our turn to speak. Truly listening requires patience and focus. I’ve found it helpful to paraphrase what is being shared and to ask questions, probing the logic behind an idea. Repeating back what you think you heard can also greatly aid true communication and understanding. This approach not only demonstrates my interest, but helps the person hone their idea. This type of active listening also allows me to better understand the problem that the person is trying to overcome and to suggest the best solution. Active listening may feel difficult at first, but when you master this important skill, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

Take Action

When your employees know that you are open to hearing their ideas and acting on them, they will see that you truly care about what they have to say, and they will come back with future ideas. Listening is just the first step. You need to demonstrate to employees that you hear them and value their input. Actions speak louder than words in this setting, so supporting and nurturing an idea, then allowing it the time to show its impact, is critical. This doesn’t mean that every idea presented will come to fruition, but each idea deserves an initial, careful evaluation. And lastly, always be sure to thank each and every employee for their suggestions and ideas, even the ones that are not implemented.