When you’re leading, you’ll hit resistance. That’s only natural. Even when the ones you’re leading fall under the innovators part of the curve [innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards], not all of them will have the same risk tolerance.
When they feel threatened, they’ll fight with nails and teeth to not break “that tiny part of the new status quo”.
Here’s the thing: How do you build buy-in quicker?
In 2 steps:
- Create a system for them to thrive.
- Build demand.
A system for them to thrive
Start asking these questions:
- What are the conditions, behaviors and enforcements that enable the system (how things run)?
- How do you set reassurances for them to take risks so that they can be creative? (Creativity understood as bein able to see opportunity)
- How can you turn a perceived threat into an opportunity?
- How can they approach disagreements, reach compromises and move forward, taking into account what’s that big thing they’re trying to accomplish?
Build demand
Even with them being innovators, there will be some more prone to risks than others. People are just at different stages. No need to change them. No need to “fix them”. Just accept that —free of judgement—, invite them to join and lead by the example.
Trying to get them all to buy-in into the idea (trying to convince them) will be dumb. And, trust me, I’ve been dumb.
Ask them all who’s interested. Share what’s the big goal and what’s the approach (strategy).
Work with the small group that will join. When the rest starts seeing the opportunities ahead, they’ll join. Or not. And it’s ok. You’re starting to build a group that’ll start playing like a band. And create harmony.
You know there are rockstars. They’re your firsts. 🙂