Do you have a hard time sharing your ideas?
Do you struggle when giving a suggestion during brainstorming sessions at work?
Listen in on today’s discussion about how to be socially savvy when asked for ideas and suggestions in a meeting at work.
Meetings and brainstorming
Michelle asks Lindsay how she feels when brainstorming.
She asks if she feels invigorated or excited.
Lindsay feels a combination of excited and overwhelmed.
It’s a moment when all the ideas are coming up and you want to accomplish everything.
Then you realize you might be taking too much on your plate.
Michelle shares that she recently joined a brainstorming meeting.
In today’s episode, Michelle will share what she noticed at that session.
You’ll learn useful phrases that are great ways to share your ideas and thoughts on a particular topic.
Sharing good ideas
It can be overwhelming when you have a lot of good ideas in a work discussion.
Michelle’s brainstorming meeting was about customer service in the business world.
There were a lot of interesting phrases that she’ll share on this episode.
These phrases will help you feel confident in meetings so you can naturally bring up your ideas.
#1: You know what I think we could do?
This is a good phase to introduce a suggestion.
It’s a light way of sneaking in your opinion in a conversational way.
Example:
You know what I think we could do? Change the location of the conference this year. Surprise people.
#2: An idea I had was…
You can also say, “Or another idea I had was…”
These are natural ways to bring up an idea you thought of previously.
It can also be a way to be less direct when you’ve just thought of the idea at the moment.
Example:
Or another idea I had was to switch all our paper files to digital.
#3: I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and …
You can use this phrase to show thoughtfulness.
Saying this shows you cared to take the time to think of the idea and you’re putting it forward now.
Example:
I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’d love to start a committee for special events.
#4: It would be good if we could…
This has a very friendly tone.
It’s a great way to share what you think without being too direct or intense.
Example:
It would be good if we could contact our customers one by one and ask them to complete the survey.
#5: I think we should…
This phrase is another respectful and light way of bringing up your idea or suggestion.
To add more weight to your suggestion, add “really.”
This subtle change implies that you strongly believe what you are saying.
Example:
I really think we should take the time to write a monthly newsletter.
Strong and confident ideas
We need to have the language to let people know that an idea is coming.
These phrases are signals that an idea will be shared that should be listened to.
It lets others know that what you are going to say is important.
It also shows you are strong and confident.
Don’t miss other episodes of The Business English podcast to show at work that you are a confident person.
You can check out episode BE 342: Do You Push the Envelope at Work?
Roleplay
Here is a quick roleplay from Lindsay and Michelle using the transition words shared in today’s episode.
This will help you better understand how to use them in a conversation.
In this scenario, Lindsay and Michelle are brainstorming together.
Lindsay: Okay so…I really think we should change the colors of our logo.
Michelle: That’s interesting.
Lindsay: Or another idea I had was to change it all together- do a rebranding.
Michelle: Yeah! It would be good if we could see some options and then we can make our decision. You know what I think we could do ? Get a few options from the artist and have a team vote.
Lindsay: Great idea!
Takeaway
In brainstorming meetings, it’s essential to have the right language to share your ideas confidently.
Using phrases like, “You know what I think we could do?” or “I really think we should…” helps signal that you’re contributing something valuable.
Remember, Connection NOT Perfection™
You can use these phrases to continue a natural flow when talking to others.
This will encourage them to listen and you’ll be able to create a good relationship with them.
Being strong and confident with your English can make a difference in making your suggestion stand out.
When have you shared ideas with your colleagues?
Share it in the comment section below.
