What kind of people are non-conformists who are often also original innovators and business leaders? How to create a workplace where people are not afraid to speak up? How to offer purpose and meaning at work for people? Speakers of Nordic Business Forum 2017 tell. 

How originals make their ideas heard

Adam Grant is a professor and author who has studied originals who are not afraid to tell their ideas and pursue change. Grant listed top 5 most important ways how originals make their ideas heard:

1. Put your worst foot forward

When you present counter ideas and not only strengths of your idea, you create trust and keep the listeners interested.

2. Make unfamiliar familiar

Start-up pitches fail often because people do not understand what they mean. The secret is to build a bridge between your idea and a known idea. Make people think that they have heard your idea before.

3. Create psychological safety

How to create an atmosphere at work where people are not afraid to fail? As a boss, you should be an example for openly admitting that you are still developing. For example publish critical feedback that you received to your company intranet.

4. Fight groupthink

Grant gave a group exercise for this: design how to destroy your company (instead of developing it). The exercise makes threats and opportunities visible, creates wild ideas and people love it.

5. Rethink culture fit

If everyone fits to your company’s present culture, the company will not grow very fast. For example Ideo hired anthropologies to work with designers in order to get fresh insights.

Continue reading →