Disrupting the Status Quo – Part 3

• September 7, 2017

This is the third article in the series; Disrupting the Status Quo. In the first article we discussed what the status quo is and reviewed, at a high level, the four steps you will take if you chose to disrupt the status quo within your organization. In the second article we took a deeper dive into the first step on Doing One Thing at a Time.

In this article we will dive deeper on the second step of getting buy in. That means that you will get buy in from the people who will be impacted by the change. In doing this they will agree that the change is needed and be willing to participate. Without buy in it can be very difficult to create change that impacts the lives of others.

People are often afraid of the unknown and you have to be clear on why the change is important, how it will positively affect those involved, and then make it digestible. When big change happens at work the common thought is “this change might make my job obsolete.”

In order to get buy in you need to talk to those that are going to be affected by the change. Yes I said you have to talk to the people impacted and I don’t mean an email either, I mean real communication. This could be talking to a team, a department, or your entire organization in person. This is where you need to step up and lead. Talk from a place of vulnerability; let them know you know how scary change is. Let them know that you know it’s going to be hard and let them know you believe in them and are counting on them.

The more you can remove the unknown from the change the less scary it will be and the more support you will have. When people know why they are doing something, what they are working towards, and have a clear picture of what the results will look and feel like they are much more likely to work with you on making the change a reality.

On the other hand when leaders don’t communicate to everyone affected by the change, rumors start and people get scared. They will fill in the blanks with information that they feel is right even if it’s not close to the truth. That is when change is scary and when people will sabotage the efforts.

This is not a one-time conversation either. You need to continue sharing and talking with those involved, helping them keep the outcome in mind and keep their buy in solid. When things get tough it’s easy for people to forget what you said three months ago and easier for them to stop moving forward. Constant reminders on what is in it for them, why this is going to be worth it, and why you need their help will be essential to keep everyone bought into your vision. It will also help you remember why you are doing the hard work and spending money, time, and resources on the change.

Lastly on buy in, also think about how to positively reinforce the behaviors you want. People do much better when they are working towards a positive result rather than working away from pain. You get better results when people do what they are doing because they know a good feeling is at the end rather than doing what they are doing to avoid punishment.

This can be tough and you might feel like you are alone at times. This is when it is most important to have people to lean on or turn to for support. Surround yourself with positive people who want what you want and help keep you focused and accountable to the results. If you need an outside source for this you can find a coach or consultant. You can reach me at sharon@c-suiteresults.com to discuss how I work with my clients on creating change and staying accountable. I can also help with strategic messaging and a communication plan to help you get the buy in and keep the buy in you need.