We’ve all been there – you’re introducing a new initiative or making a change in your company, and you know that your staff’s not going to be thrilled. Sure, you’re the boss, and what you say goes, but you know in the long run that you’ll be better off if your team is on your side.
If your staff doesn’t understand or support your ideas, it can cause big problems – from subconscious behaviors that undermine your chances of success to – worst case – deliberate sabotage. It’s worth taking the time to get your team united behind your decision … and here’s how to do it:
1. Give them ownership. People like their own ideas better than other people’s. So what do you do? You give them ownership of the ideas you want to implement. Hold a meeting and present your thoughts on the situation you plan to address. Guide the discussion so that it goes in the direction you’ve already decided is right, and let your staff make their own journey to arrive at the same conclusions you have. Taking them through your process helps your staff understand why your idea is a good one, and they understand the reasons behind it as well.
2. Use the power of writing. When the signers of the Declaration of Independence put their John Hancocks on the famous document, they were making their position, their allegiance, and their intentions clear and public. Similarly, if you draft a plan and get your staff to sign it to indicate their understanding and commitment to your idea, they’re publicly, indelibly on the record as being on board. Employees who publicly commit to seeing your plan through will be more likely to work for that plan’s success.
3. Communication is key. It is always, always to your benefit to cultivate an open and honest exchange of ideas and information in your office, and the success of your new initiatives can often live or die based on how well you and your staff communicate. Keep your door open and solicit feedback.
4. Give them an outlet to vent. If you’re encountering stiff resistance, sometimes your best bet is just to let your staff have a bitch session. Commit to listening and considering their objections, let them blow off steam, and then get them on your side and put them to work.
5. Compromise. You’ve worked hard to assemble a staff of talented folks. Use them! If you’re convinced that your initiatives are divinely inspired and infallible, then you’re missing out on one of your greatest resources. Often the very best ideas are those that have been refined by compromise among multiple perspectives. Let your staff make you better.
6. Show progress. We like to feel like we’re making headway. Restaurants that have customer loyalty cards – you know, where you buy ten sandwiches and the eleventh one’s free – discovered long ago that customers whose cards are punched feel more motivated to come back and fill the card the rest of the way. Likewise, giving your staff updates on your measurable progress will keep them inspired to continue working hard toward your goal.
7. Reward publicly. Positive reinforcement is unbelievably powerful, and it works particularly well for the staff members who might not have been as enthusiastic about your idea initially. Single out one of the folks who was on the fence and point out how much they’ve accomplished and contributed to the cause.
8. Flip the conversation. If you have an employee or a partner who’s really opposed to your idea, it can be useful to flip the scripts. If each of you argues the other side of the issue, you might end up refining your idea based on benefits or drawbacks you might not have seen. You can refine your argument and your ideas by taking on another perspective.
9. Reevaluate. Sometimes your idea just stinks, and you need to step back and reconsider it. You’ve hired talented people, and you should avail yourself of their valuable insight. Being willing to admit when your idea isn’t stellar makes you stronger in the long run, and it can keep you from making disastrous decision that aren’t in your company’s best interest.
Enlisting the support, talents, and insight of your team can be the difference between an idea’s brilliant success or dismal failure. Taking the time to sell your staff on your idea and get them behind you is a step that ensures long term success.
