Guide to Securing Employee Support for Business Transformation within 3 Months
Sick of your brilliant ideas being snubbed? Here's how to get your coworkers on board!
Change is scary, and people often resist it. They might not jump on board because they fear the unknown or are focusing on who else in the company is supporting your idea. That's why the first 90 days are crucial. Use this time to build momentum and prove the value of your initiative.
To start, focus on understanding the people around you. Learn about their challenges, priorities, and what success looks like for them. Show them that you genuinely care about their success, because people are more likely to give back to those who have given to them (Reciprocity, Cialdini).
During this listening and learning phase, identify the early adopters – the people who are ready to lean in and might become strategic champions. When you engage with these individuals, look for those who asked insightful questions, were frustrated by the status quo, and were actively looking for solutions. They will be your first allies in creating momentum for your initiative.
Once you've found these early adopters, double down on them. Have deeper conversations with them, understand what resonates with them, and how they might benefit from early involvement. Allow them to shape and co-create the initiative with you to give them a sense of ownership. This technique, known as the IKEA Effect, shows that people place a high value on things they’ve partially created themselves.
With the groundwork laid, it's time to show some tangible evidence of success. Work with your champions to address real pain points and deliver early wins. These victories should be visible, valuable, and verifiable to serve as social proof. Once you have your early wins, celebrate like crazy! Share the stories of your successes and put the spotlight on your champions, not yourself.
By giving your champions a voice, you'll create an emotional connection to your initiative, making it easier to get buy-in from others. For the next 50 days, focus on getting more early wins and tell your success stories using narrative rather than cold, hard facts. Remember, stories are psychologically powerful and help people make sense of complex situations.
After 90 days, you'll have a clear understanding of your organization and how to roll out your initiative. Identify your early majority – those who are cautious but positive about your idea. Make explicit what you need from them: endorsement, advocacy, or active contribution of resources. Expand your engagement, keeping in mind the foot-in-the-door technique – start with a small request, and as they get comfortable, ask for more.
By using these strategies, you'll build a network of passionate advocates who will help push your initiative over the tipping point, where more than 25% of the people in your company support your idea. The momentum you've created will then be easier to sustain.
So remember, it's not just about having a great idea – it's about building momentum by finding the right champions. Start listening, find your early adopters, score some early wins, and celebrate like crazy!
- To succeed in getting your coworkers on board with your innovative idea, focus on understanding their challenges, priorities, and what success looks like for them, showing genuine care (understanding, priorities, success).
- During the initial listening and learning phase, identify early adopters who are potential strategic champions, looking for those who asked insightful questions, were frustrated by the status quo, and actively seeking solutions (early adopters, insightful questions, status quo, solutions).
- With the identified early adopters, double down on them, allow them to shape and co-create the initiative, and create early wins, utilizing the IKEA Effect to give them a sense of ownership (early adopters, co-create, IKEA Effect, early wins, ownership).
