In this article
Idea Management Software
KWOKKA by UBT™ collects ideas from employees across your organization and gives each one an owner and a defined path.
Book a WalkthroughKey takeaways
Answer all employee suggestions, including the ones that will not go ahead.
Agree how quickly people will hear back, and keep to it.
Give the reason for each decision, and say what would change it.
Show what changed because of the ideas that went ahead.
Why People Stop Sharing Ideas
Definition
Psychological safety
Whether people feel able to speak up, ask questions and offer ideas at work without being embarrassed or ignored.
This article uses the term in that team sense. In parts of Canada and Australia the same phrase also describes workplace mental health rules, which are a different subject.
Most people stop sharing ideas for a simple reason: nothing happened the last time they did. Silence after an idea reads as a judgment, even when the real cause was a busy month. When an idea gets no answer, people tend to conclude one of three things:
The idea was not good enough.
Nobody read it.
Ideas are not really wanted here.
None of these conclusions needs to be true to do damage. Each one makes the next idea less likely.
Key idea
People keep sharing ideas when they can see that sharing leads somewhere.
Answer All Employee Suggestions
Every idea gets an answer, including the ones that will not go ahead. The answer does not need to be long. It needs to be clear, specific and on time, and it covers four things:
Thank the person by name
Thank them for raising the idea, whatever the decision.
Say what was decided
Going ahead, parked or declined, in one plain sentence.
Give the reason
The criteria the idea was judged against, and how it measured up.
Say what happens next
Who owns it now, the next step, or when it will be looked at again.
Agree How Quickly People Hear Back
Agree a time by which every idea gets a first answer, publish it, and keep to it. A promised time turns waiting into a process people can trust, and it gives the person reviewing ideas a clear standard.
1
Received
The person hears that the idea arrived and who will look at it
2
Decided
Going ahead, parked or declined, with the reason
3
Done
What changed, shared with the person and their team
If a decision will take longer than the agreed time, say so, and give a new date. A short update keeps trust; silence spends it.
Say No Without Shutting People Down
A clear no with a reason does less harm than no answer at all. It shows the person how decisions are made, which helps them shape their next idea. A good no includes:
The criteria the idea was judged against.
What would need to change for it to be reconsidered.
An invitation to raise the next idea.
Innovation only happens when we communicate.
Show What Changed
The strongest encouragement is visible change. When a team can see that an idea from a colleague is now part of how they work, more people take the risk of sharing.
Share results where people already look: a team meeting, an internal newsletter or the idea list itself. Name the person who raised the idea, with their agreement, and say what the change achieved.
Idea management software
Idea Management Software That Takes Ideas to Results
KWOKKA by UBT™ collects ideas from employees across your organization, helps your team decide which ones to pursue, gives each one an owner and a defined path, and records what it delivered.
What Leaders Change First
Psychological safety grows from how leaders respond to ideas and mistakes, not from posters or slogans. Three habits make the biggest difference:
Instead of
Judging the solution before asking about the problem
Thanking people only when an idea goes ahead
Keeping your own mistakes quiet
Try this
Asking what problem the idea solves first
Thanking people for raising an idea, whatever the decision
Saying what you got wrong, so others feel able to try
These habits cost nothing, and people notice them quickly. The process above makes them consistent across every team.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you respond to employee suggestions?
Thank the person by name, say what was decided and why, and say what happens next. Answer within a time the organization has agreed and published.
How do you get employees to share ideas?
Answer every idea, explain each decision and show what changed because of the ideas that went ahead. People share when they can see that sharing leads somewhere.
How do you say no to an employee idea?
Give the decision, the criteria it was judged against and what would need to change for it to be reconsidered, and invite the person to raise their next idea.
About the author
Shannon Phillips
Co-Founder and Innovation Strategist
Designs structured innovation systems for enterprise organizations and helps leadership teams set priorities that reflect how the organization operates.
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