We’ve all had ideas that we thought were brilliant, only to be met with silence, indifference or a room full of questions we weren’t quite ready to answer. So how do we get people on board with our ideas, and do we always need to?
In this episode, Chris, Ben, Rachel and Russell explore the challenges of getting buy-in, sparked by Ben’s own experiences of sharing ideas before they’re fully formed. What starts as a conversation about cutting through the noise develops into a discussion about influence, experimentation, collaboration and knowing when to let an idea go.
Along the way, we discuss:
- Finding the signal in the noise: Sharing ideas, testing their value and recognising which ones deserve more attention.
- Knowing your audience: Understanding what matters to others, choosing the right moment and framing ideas in ways that resonate.
- Experimentation over commitment: How small, reversible experiments can make it easier for people to embrace change.
- Sharing ownership: Creating opportunities for others to contribute ideas and shape solutions, rather than always providing the answers.
- Making space for different voices: The value of asynchronous communication, psychological safety and giving people time to think.
- Knowing when to persist or pause: Why some ideas need a different approach, while others might benefit from a little time on the shelf.
- The cost of getting it wrong: How excluding people from decisions can damage trust, even when the intentions are good.
We also explore whether every idea really needs widespread support, how leaders can encourage a culture of experimentation, and why sometimes the best way to get started is simply to give yourself permission to try.
And, in true Testing Peers tradition, we begin with a rather important question about our last meals before the robot overlords take over.
We’d love to hear from you! How do you approach getting buy-in for your ideas? Have you ever had an idea that initially went nowhere, only to succeed later? Or perhaps you’ve learnt the hard way what happens when people aren’t brought along with a decision?
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