Your input matters

Terri Jacke

Guest Columnist

September 23, 2022

“I knew that expansion plan would fail,” Gene said with frustration and satisfaction.

Gene is a member of a leadership team at a mid-sized manufacturing company, and the best I could tell, he was upset that the leadership team invested a great deal of money into a failed expansion of their manufacturing services.

But, it appeared Gene was also satisfied with his prescience as he continued, “I knew it couldn’t work. We don’t have the infrastructure for that kind of growth that quickly.”

I asked Gene what he had tried by way of warning his teammates about the flaws in their plan, as I was curious how the team had decided to move forward with such an expensive and – evidently – risky plan, given Gene’s grave concerns.

It turns out, Gene had concluded that the majority of his peers wanted the expansion. 

Plus, he didn’t feel he had the influence or the specific expertise needed to challenge the expansion proposal (lazy assumptions, in my opinion).

So, rather than sharing his thoughts in a comprehensive presentation to his teammates or his leader, he merely vented his concerns and frustrations to a couple of his peers offline.

Sometimes we withhold our input
Unfortunately, Gene’s behavior is not unusual.

There are times we justify the decision to withhold our professional opinions.

Sometimes we tell ourselves we don’t know enough or we lack necessary credibility and convince ourselves others don’t value our perspectives, have hidden agendas, don’t like us or won’t listen to us anyway.

All of these excuses might be true in any given situation, but your job as a professional and as someone invested in your own development is to do it anyway.

A tremendous growth opportunity awaits those of us willing to fulfill our job descriptions.

We are paid, after all, to bring our skills, education and experience to our teams and organizations in an effective manner.

We are not paid to withhold our concerns or to couch them behind closed doors, innuendo or passive-aggressive behaviors.

Why is your input valuable?
Your input can help ensure a more robust analysis of any decision.

It offers additional perspective, including feelings and data.

The information you provide from your seat on the bus helps others see the business from your point-of-view.

It also helps others get to know you and your work better.

In order to contribute in a meaningful manner, we are required to sort through our thoughts and feelings and explore which thoughts are valid and which are stories we have created in our own heads.

We must determine which feelings are relevant to the situation, why they matter and whether they are worth addressing. 
It takes discernment to do these things well.

Every time you weigh in on workplace situations and business decisions, you practice such discernment.

Additionally, each opportunity requires you to gather and organize pertinent information – other skills that require practice and wisdom.

In terms of organizing information, I would encourage you to take advantage of internet searches for four-part assertion messages, organizing an informative presentation, organizing a persuasive presentation, etc., to help optimize learning and growth from each experience.

You might also reference any number of helpful books – such as “Fierce Conversations” by Susan Scott, “Crucial Conversations” by Joseph Grenny – or any other reputable business communication resources.

Finally, you will need to determine the best communication channel, situation or forum to share your input.

Should it be in-person (or virtual) with ample time for dialogue and questions, or would an email work well?

Should it be in a formal presentation or would notes for a robust conversation suffice?

Would it be most effective to share your input with your leader, at a regularly scheduled team meeting or at a specially scheduled topical meeting?

All of these decisions require you to exercise insight into the business, its people and the topic at hand, which require thoughtful preparation.

Finally, whenever and wherever you choose to weigh in, it is important to offer your input in an appropriate, poised and well-spoken or well-written manner.

Be aware of your tone, and if you are in person or virtual, be attentive to your body language and eye contact.

Your platform skills and delivery style make a difference in the way your message is received, and it would serve you well to be intentional about exercising them on a regular basis.

How is providing input good for your career?
Providing input can afford you the opportunity to demonstrate sought-after professional skills and attributes.

For example, contributing your point of view in an intelligent, organized manner demonstrates communication skills and confidence.

A desire to ask and find answers to difficult questions denotes intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills.

Standing by your opinion when it differs from others indicates you possess independence and courage.

Remaining calm while you explain your position demonstrates respect for others.

From a relationship building standpoint, your thoughtful contributions demonstrate engagement, cooperation and teamwork.

Remember this: Offering input at work is not necessarily about getting your way – it’s about learning how you can add value, perspective and insight to business discussions in an increasingly meaningful fashion.
 
Terri Jacke is the founder and President of Inspired Training Institute, Inc., an executive coaching and organizational development firm, and author of Is This a Lousy Job or Is It Me?: A Real-Life Guide for Achieving Success at Work.