Change Management
Tell me why
Those who know me well know that when I ask "why" the worst possible answers you could give me are: "Because I said so" or "Because that's they we we do things". Here's why:
I care about what's in it for me. (And so do your colleagues). Answering WIIFM is change management 101.
I need to believe in a cause in order to throw my weight behind it. Those answers assume there's existing trust and confidence. (We all know what happens when we assume). For me, trust and confidence come through candor and transparency. Be honest about what the data says. Be transparent about the risks and unknowns.
Take the time to think about how you might persuade others by articulating the "why" for a given project, feature, or initiative.
Who is your audience? What do they care about?
Why is this important? What are the benefits? What's the risk of not doing this?
Keep it simple.
Watch the video below for a quick snack about effective tactics to persuade your stakeholders:
Why you should embrace change-haters
“Change-haters” may feel like a strong term, but these people exist as your colleagues and can be surprise blockers when leading change at an organization.
How do you drive change in an environment with known and unknown change-haters?
April K. Mills’ book, Change Tactics, includes several ways in which you can identify and engage potential change-haters. She says, “When you’ve found them, learn from them, invite them to join you, and celebrate them.”
In other words, engage them early and often to avoid surprises and sustain forward progress.
Learn about other change tactics to engage the "haters":
Watch the video below for a quick snack about what I learned about stakeholder management from a grilled cheese sandwich: