Want People to Support Your
Ideas? Conquer Their Fears
Whether
you have a new idea, innovation, or change effort, you'll need to overcome
people's anxieties. The key? Understanding psychology.
One of the biggest challenges
of innovation and leading change is presenting ideas in a way that overcomes
people's anxieties and resistance to change.
As I've argued before, a good idea is not enough. If you want support for a
new change, innovation, product, process, or strategy, you need to understand the psychology behind this
resistance--the fears, concerns, and worries that keep people from embracing
change.
Here are four of the key reasons
people (including employees, board members, and others) resist your
ideas:
Fear of failure:
Think of what you're asking
from others. You want them to invest time, effort, and maybe money into a
project whose outcome (no matter how certain success seems to you) is uncertain
to them. Given that most people are risk-averse, the fear of failure is an
obvious source of anxiety and resistance.
Fear of the new:
In theory, many will not
challenge a new direction. But when change actually starts--and routine,
budgets, and work processes are discernibly different--people get conventional,
fast. Appreciate that while people may say that they want new, innovative
ideas, they may not be as receptive when dealing with the results.
Turf paranoia:
The introduction of new ideas
can create a shift in priorities and resources that will make some feel
alienated, undervalued, or nervous. Broad change initiatives make it difficult
for people to protect old turf and old ways of doing things. New ideas may
imply an infringement on the status and power held before. You have to take
these concerns seriously and think of ways to preserve the status and resources
of key stakeholders while implementing your new ideas.
Confusion:
New ideas are often
complicated and not easily understood. Because of this, they may require too
much concentration and energy from the very people you are trying to bring on
board.
How to Win Support for Your
Ideas
To overcome these obstacles
and get people excited about your ideas, innovations, or change efforts, you'll
need to mitigate these anxieties as you make your pitch. Here are five
tips:
1. Accentuate the payoff:
When proposing a new idea,
leaders often assume that the benefits of their idea are self-evident. Stress
the benefits, and don't assume that everyone will have an immediate and deep
appreciation of what you're trying to achieve. Tell a story that shows your
audience each and every advantage of your idea.
2. Couch it in their reality:
You always have to be thinking
of your audience and their world. You need to illustrate your ideas by
explaining how your ideas relate to their lives.
3. Address the risks:
Often, leaders don't dwell on
the inherent risks of their ideas when presenting them to the team. Take the
time to identify areas of risk and ways risk can be mitigated.
4. Be concrete:
Ideas can be rejected because
they sprawl or are too sweeping. Rein in the scope of your idea, and focus on
exact costs and timelines. Don't allow the drama and power of your idea to make
you promise more than you can deliver.
5. Accentuate prestige:
Knowing that individuals will
often resist change because they fear loss of status and turf, accentuate the
social prestige and recognition that they will likely receive by joining your
effort.
BY SAMUEL B. BACHARACH
http://www.inc.com/samuel-bacharach/how-to-get-support-for-your-ideas-overcoming-anxieties.html?cid=em01020week31c
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