Convincing Managers to Support Your Ideas

Managers in an organization are faced with increasingly complex and challenging situations in their everyday work profile. As such, managers are valuable contributors in meeting the key strategic objectives of their organizations.

You as an employee or subordinate of your immediate manager or boss need to gain support from your manager for your ideas and projects.  It is a political challenge for you when learning to gain or get support for your projects or ideas from your boss.

Sometimes, it may be a situation when your manager is predisposed to say a quick “NO”.  The Manager or your Boss may reject your idea due to budget constraints or it may happen that you have failed to make your case effectively in convincing your immediate manager.

Usually, the line or direct managers have few resources and time at their disposal and every time you suggest a new idea or initiative or project you may be fighting a challenging battle for interest and attention.

Therefore, it is essential to follow the following tips to eliminate the obstacles for getting immediate support for your ideas or projects from your manager. These include-

Open lines of communication with your manager or senior managers to help them in understanding how your ideas or project are in tandem with the corporate and functional goals of your organization or department.  

Plan your case/idea like a lawyer with your senior managers or boss playing the role of a jury with you getting a chance to make the case or idea. Base your idea (case) or project on helping to solve a problem or issue. Show how your idea or project would help in terms of cost savings, increased productivity or improved efficiency.

Building a consensus with the other senior management personnel and your immediate colleagues about your idea or project through a presentation using software tools like MS PowerPoint will go a long way in displaying your passion for the idea or project and commitment to make it successful.

These three tips or steps would help you in convincing your manager to say “YES” to your ideas and project proposals.