Phil McKinney has a great post on Permission Based Innovation, so please take a minute to read it over. From my perspective as a manager, all I can say is that he is right on with all his points. I have a few additional points:

1. The creativity of a team far exceeds the individual creativity of the team leader.
2. An idea that comes from the passion of a team member is 10 times more powerful than an idea that comes from the team leader.
3. An idea that strikes the passion of both the team member and the team leader will go 10 times faster than an idea that strikes the passion of only one.
4. A great idea needs a champion to see it through.

I'll be the first to admit that the creativity of my team far exceeds my creativity as an individual, and I wouldn't want to have it any other way. I want my team members to share all their ideas with me, and if there is another manager between us then I want them to share their ideas with their direct manager, too. Managers need to hear new ideas from their team members, whether half-baked or fully-baked, and whether aligned or not aligned with current activities. In fact, since I run around the world talking to different customers, partners, and business units, I am often aware of new activities that my team members are not yet aware of; so many seemingly unaligned ideas often end up being much more aligned than originally thought!

I can say that an idea that comes from the passion of a team member is 10 times more powerful than one that comes from the team leader, because at the end of the day it is the team members that do the work to move the ideas forward, and an idea that hits the team member's true passion will move 10 times faster than one that does not. Why? Because if it strikes your passion, then you'll think about it all the time and you'll figure out any way to get it done. You won't even see obstacles, as you'll just push them aside as you work towards your goal. Also, you'll not only think about your idea while you're at work, but you'll think about it when you're brushing you teeth, and that's when you'll have the Eurekas that will move the project forward!

An idea that strikes the passion of both the team member and the team leader will go 10 times faster than an idea that strikes the passion of only one, because both need to work together to pave the road for moving forward and clearing the obstacles out the way. Again, the team members and the team leader travel in different circles, so if they are both aligned on the idea then they can work together to make it happen. This includes getting resources to move the idea forward, getting buy in from different parts of the organization, and forging relationships with outside organizations to make it happen. It also includes getting more people excited about the idea.

Now, for the next part on how to have the conversation with your manager. When you present a new idea, please be ready for a two-way conversation to further develop the idea. This way, you can work your idea into one that hits both your passion and your manager's passion and needs, and as discussed earlier this will make it move 10 times faster.

Also, make it clear to your manager what role you would like to play in moving this idea forward. Is it an idea that you think is important but are not able to work on or is it an idea that you want to champion and pursue? Both are important. Managers are usually looking over many projects, so we really need champions to drive ideas and projects forward at the level of detail needed for it to be successful. So, it's important for us to know if you are willing to be that champion. It is also important to share ideas that you think are important but can not pursue, as these are still good ideas to keep in mind. Just make this clear so your manager knows how to position your idea in his/her head.

Finally, let your manager know your level of passion behind your idea. If I know that someone's idea comes from a 20 year hobby that they've been spending their nights and weekends on or that it solves a long-time problem that they have been concerned about, then I'll actually consider that as experience and passion that will roll into the project and increase its chance of success. And again, if it crosses the right level of passion then I know I'll be getting those brain cycles as you're brushing your teeth- another key element to success!

Actually, one last comment. Don't be discouraged if your manager doesn't immediately jump up and down about your idea. Chances are it took you a little while to conceive and develop your idea, so they will need some time to fully understand it the way you do. So give your manager a bit of time and some extra information to help understand and appreciate your idea. If you keep bringing it up every so often, then he/she will see that you really are passionate about the idea and will take that into consideration too. Another advantage of time is that things may evolve in the business that might make your idea even more relevant and important over time. So, if you have a strong passion and idea, don't give up! Rather, have the two-way conversations to work the idea into your and your team leader's passions!