CHRO.nl
September 18, 2024
We typically ignore unsolicited advice because we find it annoying. But in doing so, organisations miss out on enormous opportunities. What if you would start listening to these rebellious employees?
Sony Playstation
In the mid-seventies, young Ken Kuturagi started working in Sony’s digital research lab. He spent hours and hours disassembling and studying devices to see how they operated. He quickly gained a reputation as an outstanding problem-solver and earned the nickname tinkerer. At home, his daughter played on the Nintendo often. It was too slow, Kuturagi thought. He opened the device and installed a chip he had created to increase its speed. It did a fantastic job.
“Wouldn’t it be great if Sony developed a game console?” Kuturagi asked himself. When he brought it up to his management, they showed no interest. But Kuturagi did not stop there and shared his idea with Sony CEO Norio Ogha. He was excited and understood the potential of the gaming industry. He freed Kuturagi from his regular job to work on this new concept. That became one of Sony’s best-selling products, the PlayStation.
Treasure your original thinkers
When Kuturagi proposed an idea no one was asking for, he faced strong opposition. Often, people get annoyed by unsolicited advice and immediately dismiss it because they believe the suggestion is complete nonsense and a waste of time. But is that really true? Do you hold any assumptions that lead you to believe that, and are they correct?
When a small team of engineers presented the idea of the iPhone to Steve Jobs, his first reaction was: “That is the dumbest idea I have ever heard!”. Jobs was scared that Apple would turn from a tech into a telecom company. Later, after many conversations with the team, Jobs changed his mind and fully embraced the idea. The rest is history.
Self-reflection
Ignoring advice you did not seek might also result in feeling criticised or thinking you already have a better idea. If so, understand that the goal of an employee is to improve the situation. Keep your criticism to yourself and listen to that employee. Most likely, they will surprise you with new, fresh insights.
Additionally, whether your employees came up with good suggestions that you have already considered or ideas that you have not yet considered, simply thank them and, if possible, involve them in the further development of the solution. That will also save a lot of resistance.
Yes! We have a rebel in our team
People find employees who have ideas on the spur of the moment and suggest that things could be different troublemakers or rebels who should be avoided. But it is these people who ensure progress and innovation in your organisation.
‘It’s not rebels that make trouble, but trouble that makes rebels’. So, it’s about time we see the power of rebels!
This article was originally published in Dutch on the platform DeSpreker.nl, the best agency for booking high-quality speakers in the Netherlands.
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