There are plenty of reasons people don’t talk about their ideas. They might think it’s too ridiculous, or perhaps they’re worried others might judge them. They might be thinking they’re not smart enough to come up with anything useful.

A key to improvement is to make it easy and safe for people to share their ideas. The more ideas brought forward, the more likely you’re going to find the gem(s). Sometimes, the gems come from the most unlikely sources. However, you have no hope of seeing the gems that don’t see the light of day.

Encourage people to build on ideas rather than shooting them down. Employ one of the many brainstorming techniques to increase the flow of ideas. Acknowledge those who share an idea.

As a leader, what are you doing to make it safe for people to share their ideas?

You’ve got this.