According to new research by leadership experts and authors, Karin Hurt and David Dye, employees and leaders need practical tools to turn the culture of conversation from “safe silence” to energized engagement.
“IDEA” (Interesting, Engaging, Doable, Actions)
Does your company have a positive culture of conversation? – a culture where employees are free to voice ideas, find solutions, and innovate? Many employers believe they do and are often confused and frustrated by the lack of problem-solving ideas from their teams.
According to new research by leadership experts and authors, Karin Hurt and David Dye, employees and leaders need practical tools to turn the culture of conversation from “safe silence” to energized engagement.
40% of employees say they don’t feel confident to share ideas.
Leaders don’t just want ideas, they want good ideas. After all, there’s no time for half-baked solutions to trivial problems. Unfortunately, 45% of employees haven’t been trained to think critically or solve problems. Many employees resist the urge to speak up. They feel discouraged for saying the wrong thing or don’t recognize they have something of value to share. They tend to play it safe, keep their heads down, and say or do nothing. As a result, problems multiply, worker morale sinks and customers leave, and employees quit.
“If you want your ideas heard at work, you can’t just share an idea, you need to share an “I.D.E.A” an interesting, engaging, doable, action…”
…says, Karin Hurt who, along with partner David Dye, dedicated research to understanding courageous cultures in the workplace. When presenting an idea, employees need to ask: Why is this idea interesting? Is this idea actually doable? Who would we need to engage to make this happen? What are the most important actions needed to try this? This framework helps to uncover the day-to-day innovations and great ideas that employees already have. It inspires the courage to speak up and it moves everyone on the road to more productive dialogue. This criterion helps turn a team’s fear and frustrations into customer-focused solutions and micro-innovations that add up, you will realize a significant competitive advantage.
“It’s important for employees to recognize a good idea when they see one and to know how to vet it for viability,” says Dye.


“If you want your ideas heard at work, you can’t just share an idea, you need to share an “I.D.E.A” an interesting, engaging, doable, action.”
– Karin Hurt & David Dye

In An Interview/Article, Karin Hurt & David Dye Can Share:
- The “IDEA” strategy: the right way to speak up, share ideas, and get heard at work.
- Techniques to foster micro-innovation at every level of business.
- How managers and employers can cultivate an environment of solutions-based people.
- Why employee creativity & curiosity is the key to business success.
- Groundbreaking new research on business survival in 2020: “Inspiring Innovation: Fostering a Courageous Culture of Micro-Innovators, Problem Solvers, and Customer Advocates”
Hurt and Dye are on a mission to empower business leaders and encourage employees to have solution-based thinking. They are sharing strategies and actionable advice for people at every level of business.
ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP EXPERTS
Karin Hurt & David Dye
Karin Hurt and David Dye are internationally recognized leadership and employee engagement experts, keynote leadership speakers, trainers, and the award-winning authors of Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results Without Losing Your Soul. The husband and wife team are the founders of Let’s Grow Leaders, an international leadership, development, and consulting company located outside Washington D.C. Dye is a former executive and elected official with over two decades of experience leading teams, building organizations, and working with Boards of Directors to transform their effectiveness. A former Verizon Wireless executive, Hurt was named to Inc. Magazine’s list of great leadership speakers. Hurt and Dye are on a mission to help leaders across industries increase their influence, solve common leadership frustrations, and improve productivity through practical leadership inspiration.