The same idea can get a very different reaction depending on who says it.Getty ImagesYou say something in the 10 a.m. meeting. Nobody reacts. Ten minutes later, a more senior colleague says almost the same thing, and the room lights up. “Great point.” Someone writes it on the whiteboard with his name next to it.You sit there wondering what just happened. Was his version clearer? Did people simply miss yours? Or did the idea somehow become better when he said it?Research suggests that last possibility isn't as strange as it sounds. We don't judge ideas on their merits alone. Who delivers an idea can influence how much attention we give it and how good we think it is.Kimberly Elsbach and Roderick Kramer saw this when they studied how Hollywood executives evaluated screenplay pitches. The executives weren’t responding only to the stories being pitched. They were also judging the people doing the pitching, including whether they seemed like the kind of people capable of producing creative work.Status Changes What Gets HeardResearch on status and influence in groups has repeatedly shown that people perceived as having higher status tend to receive more attention and exert more influence over group decisions.This doesn't mean every repeated idea has been stolen. Sometimes the second person explains it better. Sometimes the conversation has moved forward and the room is more receptive. Sometimes two people independently arrive at the same conclusion.But if your ideas repeatedly seem to become more compelling when someone more senior repeats them, it's worth paying attention.And there are ways to make that less likely.1. Don’t Just Float The IdeaCompare these two comments:“Maybe we should reconsider the launch date.”“I’d move the launch back two weeks. That gives us time for another customer test, and I'd use those results as the go/no-go decision.”The underlying idea is similar, but the second version gives people something they can respond to. There's a recommendation, a reason and a next step.This matters even more when you’re relatively junior. Instead of simply raising a possibility, make a clear recommendation and explain why you think it will work. The more specific your idea is, the easier it is for people to respond to it and remember who proposed it.2. Reconnect Yourself To The IdeaSuppose you suggest delaying the launch. Ten minutes later, a senior colleague proposes essentially the same thing and suddenly everyone is interested.You don't need to say, “That's what I just said.”Instead, try:“Yes, that’s exactly where I was going earlier. And I'd add…”Or:“Right, that’s the point I was raising about the launch date. I think the implication is…”Then keep going.This reconnects you to the idea without making a big deal of it. 3. Put Important Ideas In WritingIf you've made an important recommendation, capture it in the meeting chat, a shared document or a short follow-up email:“To build on the idea I raised today about restructuring intake, here’s what I'd propose as the next step…”You're moving the idea forward while also creating a record that connects you to it.4. Find Someone Who Will Amplify YouSometimes the easiest way to get credit for an idea is for someone else to give it to you.A colleague can simply say:“I think that’s the point Maya raised earlier.”It's a small intervention, but it reinforces the idea while reconnecting it to the person who introduced it.If you work regularly with someone you trust, you can do this for each other. When one person's idea gets overlooked and then resurfaces later, the other reconnects it.5. Try To Look For A PatternPay attention to whether your ideas regularly get more attention after someone else repeats them. If it keeps happening, ask someone you trust who has been in the meetings what they've noticed.You might say: “I’ve noticed a few times that I'll raise an idea and it doesn't get much response, but then someone else brings up something similar and it gets picked up. Have you noticed that too?”They may see a status dynamic you can't easily see yourself. Or they may notice something you could change about how you're presenting your ideas.Use Your Status To Give CreditIf you're one of the more senior people in a meeting, people are likely to pay attention when you speak. You can use that influence to make sure other people get credit for their ideas.If someone builds on an earlier contribution, make the connection: “That’s a good extension of Maya’s point.” If you realize you’ve repeated something someone else said, acknowledge it: “I think that’s what Daniel was getting at earlier.”You can also bring an overlooked idea back into the conversation: “I want to go back to Priya’s suggestion. I think it’s worth considering.”A good meeting gives the best ideas a chance to be heard, regardless of who says them first.