E-couragement: The Buy-In Myth
“You may have a brilliant new business strategy, but unless employees are stoked about the idea, it won’t succeed.” John Kotter, author and Harvard Business School professor A number of years back, I remember hustling into our nicely appointed boardroom. Prepared to conduct the weekly staff meeting, I spread my planner and notes across the gleaming wood veneer conference table. As the leader, I had spent considerable hours contemplating our team’s strategy and how to best execute our new direction. After sharing my carefully crafted plan, I asked, “So, what do you all think?” I received numerous polite corporate nods and several, “uhh hmmm’s.” At that time I can recall thinking, Great, I have the buy-in needed to press ahead. My inexperience prevented me from clearly seeing how this common leadership scenario would in no way, shape, or form result in the coveted buy-in I was so desperately seeking.
Today, I find that leaders often misunderstand the concept of buy-in. Sales guru, Jeffrey Gitomer said, “People don’t like to be sold but they love to buy.” Similarly, many leaders utilize the “sold-in” method of decision making. It’s the attempt to sell ideas, processes, or decisions to followers, who like any customer, don’t like to be sold but love to buy. This is merely camouflaged corporate manipulation. For-sale-by-owner might work with real estate but don’t count on it as an effective leadership tool. Let’s look at a format that actually facilitates buy-in, resulting in fully committed supporters.
Buy-in begins long before you’ve determined the ideal solution. It’s best achieved when you’re armed with skillful questions and intent listening rather than dumping a mail bag full of answers across the boardroom table. Here’s a simple three step process to evolve from a sold-in ideology to a buy-in state:
- Invite: Which people are critical to the success of your idea or process? Whose insight or thoughts do you need to hear? Who has a vested interest in the change you wish to initiate? Make sure these people are present and accounted for. Let go of “owning” all the answers and invite others into the process as early as possible.
- Include: Get the conversation started. Ask skillful questions and listen intently. Regarding gaining buy-in, Harvard Business School professor and author John Kotter recommends, “You make yourself accessible. You ask questions and don’t make speeches. You give off signals, verbal and nonverbal, that you are interested. This isn’t just, ‘Tell me what you think I want to hear’.” The moment people feel like they’re a puppet having their strings pulled is the moment that you’ve lost their loyalty.
- Invoke: I love this word which means to earnestly solicit or to call upon a higher power for assistance. Guess what higher power you’re calling upon? Your followers. They have amazing ideas and answers. They’re happy to provide these solutions when called upon, sincerely listened to, and appreciated.
Engaging leaders refuse to participate in the corporate sell-in game. Rather, they invite, include, and invoke their followers to bring forth the answers and solutions that they carry within. As a result, buy-in is never an issue. No manipulation needed—just pure unadulterated engaging leadership which yields sustainable change implemented by committed and loyal followers.
Leave your comments: In what ways have you achieved buy-in that has lead to successful implementation of an idea or process?