It only took one suggestion to change everything.
Sheila Slick’s husband had an idea: “What if you could turn podcasts into books?”
Sheila listened—and developed PodToBook.ai, a service that transforms a microphone into a manuscript. Today, it helps turn podcasts, live events, workshops, and keynote speeches into published books.
If Sheila had dismissed that idea, the concept would have never left the conversation. That’s the reality—you don’t have to say yes to every idea, but you can’t afford to kill one too quickly.
The Danger of Being a “Suggestion Killer”
Even great leaders can shut down innovation without realizing it:
Time Pressure – Quick “no’s” feel efficient but cost creativity.
Bias – Certain voices get more attention than others.
Change Fatigue – Too many initiatives make “not now” the default.
Risk Aversion – New ideas feel dangerous to what’s already working.
Assumption – Thinking you already know the idea before hearing it out.
The result? Valuable ideas never reach decision-makers, the leadership team, or the owner.
Small Ideas with Big Impact
History is full of tiny sparks that lit massive fires:
Post-it Notes – A 3M scientist’s “failed” adhesive was rescued by another employee who saw it could hold bookmarks in hymnals.
Starbucks Frappuccino – A California barista pitched the blended coffee idea directly to executives after store-level rejection; it became a billion-dollar product line.
Amazon Prime – An engineer suggested a free-shipping threshold; testing evolved it into the membership powerhouse we know today.
FedEx Package Tracking – A night-shift worker proposed digital tracking, now a core part of global logistics.
Walkman’s Birth – Sony’s co-chairman wanted a portable cassette player for his own music; engineers ran with the concept and created an icon.
In each case, the idea could have been dismissed—and in some cases, it was at first. But someone pushed, someone listened, and someone tested.
Customers Are Idea Factories Too
Employee input is gold, but so is customer feedback—especially in reviews.
A customer review is like a frog in a biology class—if you dissect it carefully, you’ll see exactly how the ecosystem works:
Praise tells you what’s worth amplifying.
Complaints reveal bottlenecks or pain points.
Suggestions highlight unmet needs or product gaps.
Repeated themes point to systemic issues or untapped opportunities.
Ignoring reviews is like skipping free market research.
Social Listening: Innovation in Real Time
In the age of digital conversation, people are telling you exactly what they think—on social media, in forums, in comment threads.
Social listening means tracking these mentions to:
Spot trends before your competitors.
Learn what’s being said about your brand when you’re not in the room.
Identify emerging customer needs.
Uncover creative uses for your products you never imagined.
Many breakthroughs begin here—not in the boardroom.
The “Autopsy” Leaders Forget to Do (True Crime Wink Included)
I cohost Debate The News: True Crime on @Chatter Social (live every Tue & Thu at 7:00 AM ET), so forgive the “killer” copy—but too many leaders murder an idea without performing an autopsy.
In business, an autopsy means:
Pulling apart the idea to find what is useful.
Keeping the strong parts and discarding only what doesn’t work.
Combining elements with other insights for a stronger solution.
Not every suggestion is viable, but most have something worth keeping.
How Dismissal Feels to Employees and Customers
When you shut someone down too fast—employee or customer—you:
Risk losing their input forever.
Signal that feedback isn’t welcome.
Stifle engagement and creativity.
And if you do it publicly? You send a message to everyone watching.
A Better Default: Hear It, Probe It, Test It
Listening doesn’t mean saying yes to everything—it means giving each idea its fair hearing.
Try this:
Acknowledge – “Thank you for sharing that.”
Explore – “Tell me more. What problem do you see this solving?”
Test – Approve a small pilot with clear metrics.
Leadership Self-Check Before Saying No
Have I heard the full idea?
Could part of it be valuable?
Should others weigh in before I decide?
Not every idea is a winner, but every idea deserves respect.
Final Thought
Whether it’s a lightbulb moment from an employee, a one-line comment from a customer, or a passing suggestion from a friend or family member—listening could be the difference between your next breakthrough and your competitor’s next win.
📢 Come Talk About It Live
I’ll be speaking on this topic on ChatterSocial—join the conversation at www.chattersocial.io.
📅 Special Workshop: Are You a Suggestion Killer?
🗓 Monday, August 11
🕗 8:00–9:00 AM ET
I’ll be substituting for Sheila Slick in The Morning Chatter to dive deep into how leaders can stop shutting down ideas too soon—and start building cultures where innovation thrives.
Special thanks to Debbie Dowling-Wahba for creating The Morning Chatter, a space where professionals connect, share expertise, and learn from each other.
