How to Share Your Brilliant Ideas at Work

What to Do if People Think You're a Know-it-All
Tunohole Mungoba
Knowing exactly what you’re doing at work is a great feeling. You’re confident, full of ideas, and ready to tackle anything.

Except, you’ve noticed your co-workers seem to be avoiding you. They’re not extending invitations for group projects and you’re sure you caught them rolling their eyes when you speak.

The harsh answer is, to quote an old cliché: “nobody likes a know-it-all.” The more nuanced one is that they want to feel good at their jobs, too, and if you swoop in with the right answer all the time, they don’t have that chance.

Here are three changes you can start making today:

1. Be Patient

When you share your ideas first, especially if they’re strong, you eclipse your teammates’ ability to contribute. Yes, they can still build on what you’ve said or add something different, but your behaviour sends a signal that you don’t really care what they have to say. After all, if everyone agreed to go with your plan, there’d be no reason (read: opportunity) to hear anyone else out.

Conversely, when you let others speak first, you’re giving them a chance. It shows that you think they have ideas worth listening to as well.

2. Be Open to Questions

One time you have to speak first is when you’re the one leading a discussion. But, as we all know, there are two ways to go about presenting an idea and asking for feedback.

3. Be a Team Player

Truth talk: There’s usually more to being seen as a know-it-all than an excess of good ideas. It often comes with a side of arrogance.

It’s good to be ambitious and push yourself to contribute as meaningfully as possible, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of making your teammates feel like a bunch of runners-up.

Where you’ve previously searched for holes in people’s ideas, challenge yourself to look for and comment on their strengths.

As someone who struggles to avoid coming off this way, we know the insecurities that come along with reining it in. You worry about downplaying all you know, and losing out on opportunities because of it. Or you don’t want to step back from a leadership role in a discussion—even once. Or you’d feel overlooked if someone else gets credit for an idea you were thinking and had forced yourself to hold it.

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