Seek out supporters
You will never convince everyone that what you are proposing is a good idea. It’s just not going to happen, and Prieur’s idea to move 400 people to Carmel would be no different when he told everyone what he wanted to do.
“It’s been my experience that for any change, one-third of the people will be solidly behind it,” Prieur says. “They will be actively supportive. One-third of the people will be solidly opposed to it. And one-third of the people want to know which way to jump. It’s that middle third that you have to worry about. … That’s who you have to communicate to.”
The best approach to reaching this group on the fence is to bring in your company’s opinion leaders and enlist their help in getting your message out. They are the ones that always come up in conversation when you’re talking about anything company-related.
“You’ll hear people keep talking about Tim,” Prieur says. “You hear Tim’s name over and over and over again, not just from Tim’s department but from other departments. In the back of your mind, you should be thinking, ‘Opinion leader. Someone to watch. Someone who has great potential and natural leadership ability.’ It’s important to reach those people.”
If you don’
;t
know who those people are in your company, go to your human resources department and get a list.
“Certainly the head of HR will have his or her own views on that,” Prieur says. “When you talk to the business leaders, it should naturally come up. You’re talking about who is good, who is bad. Whenever you talk about business, it’s hard not to talk about people. If you’re a manager or CEO and someone starts talking about people, you’ve got to listen.”
When you meet with these people in small groups of six to eight, you’re not seeking their approval for what you want to do. You’re seeking their support to help you earn the support of those who are unsure about the move you want to make.
“They have to understand that you’ve made the decision and you’re going to go ahead with it, regardless of opposition,” Prieur says. “You have to explain what the benefits are going to be to the organization as a whole. It’s very important for them to understand the benefit to the company and that you’re going to improve processes and make the consumer experience better.”
Prieur wanted people to see this as a first step toward strengthening the company and building a stronger sense of team.
“Leading to some extent is building momentum,” Prieur says. “You finally get to the point where people start to make up stories about you and they are good stories. When you start off and they are cynical, the only way to get it done is to reiterate the benefits and why you’re doing it and then make sure it gets done. Drive through to the finish.”
