I’m new at an established company with a set way of doing things. As a keen, excited newbie, how do I persuade senior management to listen to my ideas? Colleagues say they’re never listened to. What’s the best way to make myself heard?

Change is hard. When you’re working at a big corporate, it’s nigh-on impossible. That’s why startups exist, to shift the way we have always done things. But if you are determined to make a change at your work, there is only one way to do it in a large company: make a case for time and money.

No one cares about doing things differently unless there will be a big fat saving at the end of it. I can see you have energy and enthusiasm, but set aside your idealistic notions for a moment in favour of commercial viability.

Powerful people like to know the economic value of something, so trying to say, “Look, this is so much better/cooler/more modern,” doesn’t have the same impact as saying, “We will save 24% in cost and be 12% more efficient if we did it like this.”

If you have a new idea you want to implement, do your own mini white paper, internally. Think about the benefits from all levels of the business. How does your proposed plan affect everyone from the CEO to the receptionist; what are they going to get out of it?

Try to work in harmony with long-serving employees to bring them on board; maybe your colleagues are not being listened to because they do not communicate their proposals properly. Don’t let their reticence affect your mission.

• Send your questions for Sharmadean to bossing.it@theguardian.com

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