Be open about weak areas in your proposition. A manager will most likely help you improve any weak area once you have demonstrated an understanding of the problem. Obtaining the commitment of any individual requires desire and involvement. Desire is the result of a currently unmet need. Involvement gives the recipient some control over the selection, eventual customization and use of the idea.
Involvement promotes long-term adoption and ownership.
The manager may believe that process improvement will result in pain or loss. These areas are potential barriers that you must understand and address. Since the process improvement idea may be conceptually sound, but perceived to be painful, you must present ways to reduce the risk of pain. Options include the addition of no-go decision points and experimental improvements. If your manager feels that he or she can maintain sufficient influence, and the risk of pain can be significantly reduced, then the idea will have genuine appeal.