Getting people to jump in and support a new internal organizational
can be difficult, especially if the idea creates change. Most of the
time the person you are asking to change wants to know why they should
do what you are asking them to do, and how it makes their jobs easier
than the way they are doing it now.
One way to get people to buy in to your idea is to encourage them to
use your new, great concept, in a way that will win over their hearts
and minds. And of course if they resist you can always go authoritarian
and push what you want in a top down approach as a method of compliance
(which in some cases is necessary).
But the honey, not the vinegar, will get you farther in the long run until, even when all other options are extended.
The natural reaction can be to force compliance; you may have felt like
this before: “I did my best sales pitch and they said no; right in
front of everyone! Well this comes from the VP and I’ll just have their
access removed, then they don’t have a choice!”
You know what your doing is a good idea. Your boss knows it’s a good idea. Why can’t they understand it too?
When you set out to initiate change, even on a value adding service,
create your delivery to generate a flow of acceptance rather than a flow
of resistance. It’s carried in your communication method, tone of
voice, body language, and attitude.
Go in with the intention of having them jump in, just like the lazy
river at the water park. You are convincing them that the water is
great, and choosing to jump in will carry them to the next goal way
easier than walking themselves.
I’m not recommending you show up and present them the slide of how
awesome you are. Metrics and vision statements are good (and should be
readily on hand), but this is about the tone. This is showing them why
you will make their life easier and the business better, all they have
to do is jump in.
This requires sincerity – people can smell a fake a mile away and
will pick your mission to pieces like sharks in the water. Then your
working on a credibility rebuild rather than buy in to a new idea.
Jumping in with an iron fist will likely result in a head butting match.
If their tone sets in with resistance and you respond back with a
rebuttal, even if you eventually win you’ve still lost. They will from
now on not help you be successful. Incomplete information will be
submitted. They may hammer down on you to try to make you fail as a
demonstration of why they were right in the first place.
But gain buy in, and gain a pilot group. Gain people to offer ideas
for constructive improvements that make you successful. Full and
complete information; and most importantly word of mouth that tells
everyone exactly why you are relevant.
Should you encounter a flow of resistance, I say leave them be.
Don’t fight them there and on their terms. Take their perspective back
with you and run with what you have at the time. Chances are the
resistance was a chest pounding display anyway and they will quietly
jump in after a few days. Or they will eventually hear from theirs
peers about your awesomeness and will then sheepishly jump in then.
Eventually it will make sense what you are doing, and their boss will
catch wind of the idea and mandate his teams to comply anyway.
The smoother the jump in, the smaller the disruption and the faster you can go. Structure your conversation to gain a flow of acceptance and watch how fast a group of people can move to your common goal.
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