How to Approach Someone Who Perceives Their Solution As āFineā Because They Built It Themselves
Itās a situation that almost every leader has to contend with at some time. A new process/system/way of doing things needs to be rolled out, and you anticipate resistance from the current process owners - simply because they feel theyāve already solved this problem.
Classic best practice would say something along the lines of ābuild awareness that things are changing, invite them on the journey, help them see the benefit to build desire, train them in the new process and then provide ongoing supportā - but thereās a problem here: These are people who are unlikely to 'desireā this change because thereās existing emotional investment, and a feeling of sunk costs in the form of time, decisions, blood, sweat & tears.
So how do we tackle it?
Admittedly, itās a hard one.
Sometimes thereās no way around accepting that voluntary adoption isnāt going to happen - and that youāll have to lean on involuntary adoption. But before you reach for the proverbial stick, try this first:
In your initial engagements - stay away from the process! Donāt touch the sacred cow. Donāt ask process questions! That means avoiding questions like āhow do you do this?ā, āhowās the process going for you?ā, āwhy is this happeningā**.
Instead your initial goal is to help them identify and agree that there is a BUSINESS problem or opportunity.
That looks more like "We need your advice because we need to accelerate x, reduce y and increase z.ā Only then, once they co-own the business problem, you can then enlist them to help you with the solution and dig into the root causes with them.
Abandon the ego and adopt the attitude that you NEED their help because they are experienced in this.
Create allies, not threats.
Noting that this strategy only works if you intend on keeping this team.
ā¦Most people donāt want to design the solution that deletes them.
**as an aside - avoid asking a āwhy isā question about a process someone owns - it usually comes across as accusatory and youāll get a defensive response in return. āWhat things arenāt where youād like them to beā is a better way to phrase it.
And A Quick Note On: Selling Change
When seeking voluntary adoption - look to learn from those in sales and marketing, not comms. (After all, no one really reads that corporate newsletter do they?)
Final thoughts
Iāve long held that leaders wanting effective voluntary adoption should look to sales & marketing, not comms - and this weekās tactic is another such example. The technique above originated from those specialising in āoutboundā selling.
See you all next week, and if you want to chat more on āselling changeā - reach out.
BB