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Make it Easy for Them to Say “YES!”

Unless we are the organization’s top dog, we need to exert the power of persuasion to engage others to embrace and — more importantly — execute our very good ideas. But, with competing priorities, how do we do that? I call it “make it easy for them to say yes.”

Recognizing the Need

How many times have you sat through a meeting when a team member presented a creative idea or solution that everyone thought was great and could work? The boss liked it too, gave her the go-ahead to get it done, and then nothing happened. I’ve noticed it happening with more frequency of late and offer some tips to avoid this happening to you.

What Went Wrong?

In almost every case I’ve witnessed this phenomenon, it happened because the execution of the idea relied upon someone else to get it done, and that person or persons were not asked, or if asked, hadn’t committed to doing it.

Moral of this story: When the boss says go, be ready to execute!

The How-Tos:

1) Think Through the Project, From Beginning to End

• Identify each step that needs to be taken to reach the goal/achieve the result.
• Determine what resources will be needed. Consider personnel, equipment, time and budget.
• Pinpoint who in the organization would be best to complete each step. Consult them to check for availability. Does that person need the sign-off from someone else? If so, secure that approval. Has the person agreed to perform the task?

2) Secure the Commitments

• Make sure the budget is there.
• Ensure commitments from all those needed to get it done, including their availability (does the boss need to remove something from the person’s plate)?

3) Life Happens: Develop a Plan B

• Develop an alternative plan to ensure the plan can succeed.
• Identify and get commitments from others who could pinch-hit, if needed.

A Story (Repurposed from Consequential Communication in Turbulent Times, a Practical Guide to Leadership)

Approximately 30% of a large manufacturing firm is comprised of baby boomers, who have started to retire, and all will be gone in three to five years. A cross-functional team of in-house executives developed a plan to train newly hired employees and those to be hired by creating a series of YouTube videos featuring incumbent employees in one-of-a-kind jobs. Great idea!

The PowerPoint presented to the CEO and the senior staff identified the issues:

• the potential loss of many employees in one-of-a-kind jobs
• the need to have trained replacements in place
• the relatively minor cost associated with the YouTube solution

The CEO and senior team thought the solution was innovative and would be great, and said “yes.”

Although a great idea, with enthusiastic support from the CEO, nothing happened: no one on the team had the expertise to create the videos, nor did anyone work in the company’s library, where they would be housed. Finally, no one on the team had budgetary control.

What Went Wrong?

1. The necessary parties were consulted; however, no commitments were made.

2. The team neglected to ask for a budget to get the job done.

3. No person or function was assigned to determine which jobs were most at risk of knowledge loss through the retirements.

Another Story (also repurposed from Consequential Communication in Turbulent Times, a Practical Guide to Leadership)

To meet the demands of a rapidly growing town, a builder was faced with having to increase her company by 50%, or from 200 to 300 employees. To meet the challenge, the CEO asked the human resources department to present a plan to increase the company’s workforce.

The Results, which made it Easy for Them to Say Yes

1. HR considered three alternatives: increasing its department (from 3 to 5) to handle the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding; using an outside hiring agency; and retaining a consulting firm to provide in-house assistance.

2. The department considered costs associated with each option; the reality that internal resources would be required regardless of the option selected; and consulted with the Construction and Property departments, which would be most impacted by the rapid growth. Both departments collaborated with HR and also made the necessary commitments in staff and budget to make whatever alternative was selected successful.

3. At the end of the process, the team determined that hiring two additional regular, full-time HR employees would allow the Company to best achieve its overall goals of increasing the workforce to remain the leader in the competitive construction business in our town.

4. After analyzing the cost of the three alternatives, the option was also the least costly.

5. Bingo — approved and done!

Tips for Making it Easy for Them to Say Yes

• Recognize that the decision makers are very busy people with multiple projects in front of them
• Anticipate all the steps that need to be taken to ensure success and plan for them
• Be clear, concise, and thorough. As it is oft said (and attributed to President Woodrow Wilson) “be brief, be brilliant, be gone.”
• Assume responsibility for execution

More information on this and other leadership tips can be found in Amazon bestsellers *Consequential Communication in Turbulent Times: A Practical Guide to Leadership, and [“Can we all just get along?” Rodney King — Courageous Communication: A Return to Civility](https://dianapetersonmore.com/courageous-communication/)*

This is based on a post that originally appeared on SmartBrief.

For more posts on consequential communication, visit dianapetersonmore.com/blog.

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