Depending on how you present your new idea to your boss, you could be facing two very different reactions. If you want to nail that “yes,” you need to treat your pitch seriously—and outline solutions and a clear execution plan. Otherwise, your great idea may not see the light of day. Worse, it might end up on someone else’s to-do list.
With this in mind, we asked nine entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) to share which steps you should take before walking through that door.
When you pitch a project, clearly lay out in advance how management should judge its success quickly. What’s the first milestone that will indicate the project is a success? Set a specific goal—10 new customers in the first three months, perhaps. Plan step-wise goals instead of one huge long-term one. That means management just has to invest in the first stage of the project.
How to Pitch Your Big Ideas to the Boss | Leadership Speaker | Ross Shafer
How to present an idea to your supervisor
When you are getting ready to present an idea to your supervisor, it may be helpful to follow these steps:
1. Gather information
Before you present your idea, gather as much information as you can about your idea. Common ideas that individuals approach their supervisors with include the workload at the company, production issues or improvements, company culture and more. Narrow down your discussion topic so your boss knows what to expect from the conversation.
Consider typing all of the relevant information you find you can compile your findings accurately and securely. Once you have information to support your idea, you can type out the potential talking points associated with each fact or item you included.
2. Propose revisions or changes
Next, you can formulate a solution to the problems you have listed or ideas you have for impactful changes. Your supervisor may appreciate that you not only took the time to identify key areas for improvement, but that you also made an effort to brainstorm viable solutions or changes.
3. Anticipate questions and practice your answers
In order to maximize your presentation, you may want to prepare answers to difficult questions ahead of time. A good way to do this is to picture yourself in a management position listening to your pitch. Think about what questions you might ask. A supervisor may want to better understand the financial implications of any proposed solutions or ideas, as well as what implementing your idea means for you, your coworkers and the company as a whole. Alternatively, they may want to know how your idea works with the companys values and what part you play in it.
You can consider additional questions regarding:
Your supervisor may greatly appreciate the extra effort youve put into answering their questions beforehand. It shows that youre dedicated to the problem and to finding a solution.
4. Talk with others in the company
Talking with coworkers can help you gain perspective on the problem you have identified or ideas that you are having. Some coworkers may feel the same as you do and can potentially help you figure out the details of your presentation to be more inclusive of their perspectives. This can help your idea feel more viable, and you can tell your supervisor that other employees feel the same.
5. Be mindful
Being mindful of your content and the time youre devoting to your presentation as a professional courtesy. Try to keep your presentation concise so that both you and your supervisor can fulfill your other job responsibilities.
Its also a good idea to be mindful of how your idea might impact other people, including your supervisor. Talking to other coworkers about your presentation is a good way to see if your idea is inclusive and sensitive to everyones needs.
6. Be confident in yourself
Many supervisors appreciate confidence because it demonstrates that you are comfortable approaching them and expressing your ideas. When you are confident, you may give a more compelling presentation because of your enthusiasm and preparedness. Consider rehearsing your presentation before you meet with your supervisor to increase your confidence. You can also ask your coworkers to help you practice your presentation and provide more ideas to discuss.
Why is it important to use a template to present an idea to your boss?
Ideas and projects benefit greatly from deliberate organization, especially when presenting them to your boss. When things are organized and presented well, theyre easier to understand and seem more professional. A template can help you arrange ideas into a presentable format.
Template for presenting an idea to your supervisor
Ideas are often easier to present and understand when theyre structured in a professional way. Heres a template to use for your next idea:
[Introduction: State what you are going to discuss, why you are going to discuss it and the types of information you will present]
[Part one: Identify the problem or idea in-depth. You might include how the idea or problem first came to your attention and introduce on your proposed solution]
[Part two: Elaborate on your proposed solution and include charts, graphs or supporting documents. If you have spoken to your team members and gained useful information from them, you can include that here]
[Part three: Present the information you researched regarding cost, workflow changes or other items potentially of interest to your supervisor]
[Closing: Thank your supervisor for their time and attention and allow them to ask questions]
Example for presenting an idea to your supervisor
Here is an example idea presentation using the template above:
Dear Mr. Garreth,
Im happy to have this opportunity to present my idea to you. Ive been looking closely at our production process over the last three months, and I think this idea might allow for both greater savings on production costs and increased productivity on the production line. I have conducted research and spoken with my colleagues to receive their input on the situation and my proposed solution, and I believe the team members would receive this idea well if implemented.
The problem we are having is that we use two separate machines for packaging and boxing our products, which means we pay for maintenance, supplies and electrical costs for two different machines. I have analyzed these operating costs for the previous month, which amounts to $859.23 total for the two machines.
Ive spoken to several team members who agree that the two machine system is slow and prone to issues. Over the course of the last three months, one or both of our packaging machines have experienced downtime for repairs, amounting to 34 total hours lost. Ive created a graph detailing the maintenance and downtime costs associated with both machines.
My solution is to acquire the Hyperion 5200 all-in-one packaging machine to reduce long-term production costs. Right now, the machine is on sale through our supplier for $15,000, as opposed to its regular price of $18,000. This machine combines both the packaging and boxing process into one, which would significantly reduce operating costs.
Ive estimated that the cost of using two separate machines, which I noted as $859.23 per month for operations, to be around $11,810.76 per year if we include an estimated $1,500 in maintenance costs. This is about 80% of the cost of the Hyperion 5200.
In addition to long-term savings on operations and maintenance, using just one machine can allow us to move two employees to another part of the production line where they can help with other tasks. This is because the Hyperion only requires two people to operate as opposed to the four people required for both of our current machines. This reallocation of staff may allow us to speed the pace of production overall.
Thank you for considering my idea, and Im happy to answer any questions you have.
FAQ
How do you present an idea to your boss?
- Gather information. Before you present your idea, gather as much information as you can about your idea. …
- Propose revisions or changes. …
- Anticipate questions and practice your answers. …
- Talk with others in the company. …
- Be mindful. …
- Be confident in yourself.
How do you present a new idea to a team?
- Frame your suggestion to match the goals of your boss. …
- Pay extra attention to your boss’s problems. …
- Build the reputation for being a great performer. …
- Take advantage of the FOMO. …
- Look for inspiration. …
- Build a coalition. …
- Use data to tell a story.
How can I propose a new idea?
- Detail Its Importance. If employees don’t understand the reason you want to implement a new idea, it can be hard for them to wrap their heads around it. …
- Explain How Each Person Fits In. …
- Encourage People to Ask Questions. …
- Request Feedback. …
- Find a Candidate With Passion.
