One of the biggest complaints that I hear from people I mentor and from colleagues is that they sometimes don’t feel heard or hear their ideas, once discarded or not acknowledged, get support when they are presented by another person. Some folks also complain about difficulty getting support from peers and higher-ups for initiatives that can significantly enhance processes or outcomes. Process changes are generally not sexy and are more difficult to get buy-in, although once implemented, they can yield great outcomes and have great impact.
Recently, I read A Guide for Getting Stakeholder Buy-In for Your Agenda by Lisa Zigarmi, Julie Diamond, and Lesli Mones in the Harvard Business Review that provides some great insights and strategies for obtaining buy-in. It is a brief article, easy to read, with great suggestions. The first step that the article suggests is taking an enterprise-wide perspective on why the change is needed and why now. Often, I see managers looking at concerns only from the perspective of their areas of direct responsibility, not asking whether the change is needed and what benefit it will yield to the entire organization, not just their unit. Framing it from an org-wide perspective, others can see the benefit to them.
The article also recommends being strategic, asking oneself a host of questions, including what can be learned from prior failed attempts at change. I would add asking oneself whether there are dependencies on other units that may already be engaged in significant change projects beyond their day-to-day. The list of questions the authors provide is a good start for using a strategic mindset to anticipate questions and resistance, and to ultimately get buy-in.
One of the main take-aways from this article for me is the political savvy needed to implement change. Many middle managers and early career folks often say “I hate politics.” Politics is ubiquitous in the workplace. No matter which level you function in, you will either see it, be impacted by it, or have to manage it. Developing political savvy is a great skill for any aspiring leader.
Lastly, the article reminded me of the ADKAR model championed over two decades ago by Prosci founder Jeff Hiatt. The model, which stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement provides a great formula for getting buy-in and implementing change by enlisting others beyond the person who wants to implement the change, to create awareness, explain the why for the needed change, provide support, and ensure that folks have a desire to change once they know what improvements it will bring about. Further, change managers can work to ensure that people have both the know-how and the ability to implement and sustain the desired change through reinforcement.
What strategies have you that worked for you?
