“I have these great ideas that will fix so many problems in the business, but nobody is listening to me!”

I’ve had this conversation with lots of people. And the issue is rarely the ideas that people have, but how they’re position them.

Communication, negotiation and influence are about building rapport and giving people an opportunity to walk away feeling like they’ve won. Or at least that they haven’t lost.

If you want to succeed, you need to master the art of positioning and influence – the same underlying message, a very different outcome.

Here’s one example of a conversation I had recently, and the advice I gave.

Business On The Move

I met with a senior leader last week. A very talented, highly respected senior leader who’s built a reputation for driving significant improvements in growth, team performance and reliability.

He works in a multi-national organisation that has recently decided to change its UK market strategy; they’ve realised that they need to evolve to meet the changing needs and priorities of their customers. Their primary line of business is no longer the stronger prospect so they want to prioritise an alternative offering as their new focus area.

The US arm of the business has already done this with great success. They’ve seen an uplift in market position, brand consideration and overall market share. Now they want to replicate that success in the UK. And they’re not wrong; the new position is much more closely aligned to customer sentiment and societal conscience.

But there’s a problem. Although the business is clear on their objective, the ask is complex and multifaceted. It requires them to deliver cultural, logistical and operational change across the entire organisation.

Logistics, marketing teams, systems, bidding processes (to name just a few) all need to adapt. But there’s no cohesive plan. All functions are trying to adapt in their own areas without full alignment to a single, sequential plan.

The senior leader I spoke with had asked me for some advice on stakeholder management. They explained that they had a vision for how to bring everything together, better co-ordinate all areas, and deliver a solution that would enable a more effective delivery of the new strategy.

They’d had an initial conversation with the Programme Lead, but wasn’t sure on how to mobilise from there. Whilst they seemed receptive, there didn’t seem to be much traction.

I asked them to talk me through that first conversation. I wanted to know what was said and how it had played out.

In the initial conversation with the Programme Lead, he told them that “this isn’t working”, and proceeded to outline some issues he’d seen, and how he thought it could be better.

He wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t working. And his ideas would absolutely improve the overall delivery of the programme. But the agreed follow up call kept getting pushed out. Progress felt slow, and it wasn’t clear why.

But I knew why…What he said wasn’t wrong. But how he said it could have been.

Change The Angle

When you tell somebody what they’re doing has a problem, they immediately shift to a defensive position, even if they don’t say it. The message, either implicitly or explicitly, is “that thing you’re responsible for is failing.”

Nobody wants to hear that. And for somebody who’s built a career on delivering successfully, the risk of failing simply isn’t an option. And for somebody trying to keep multiple plates spinning, there doesn’t seem to be a way out.

Ego, self-preservation, pride. They all play a part here. They all cloud our ability to be objective. And when the pressure is on, another problem without a solution isn’t going to land well.

But there was another way to approach the same conversation, and this is exactly the advice I gave…

Getting somebody to change course is about giving them a way out that allows them to save face, and to see a clear path. They want to protect their reputation at the same time as taking some of the pressure off.

And it’s really quite simple, so long as you know what you’re doing. Here’s another approach to the conversation;

• Instead of starting with a problem statement, start with praise: “I can see all the amazing work you’re doing. It’s not easy to deliver such a complex project across an organisation like this. But it’s going to revolutionise this business for the better.“

Reputation protected. Ego boosted.

• Then acknowledge the scale of the ask, but immediately offer some relief: “I can see how big this task is, and where the challenges could be, but I think I have some options that could take some of the pressure off you.“

Here, you’re building some rapport, acknowledging the pressures but also offering to help. Instead of representing more problems without a solution, you represent an opportunity to succeed, and to take some of the burden. You become an advocate, an ally.

• Then reinforce the fact that they have the power, the autonomy to make the big decisions. Ask if they’d like to hear some suggestions you have, and say “I’d really appreciate your input. Your experience is far greater than mine.“

Respect and a lifeline.

Now you’re in a position to work with them. You’re a partner not only sharing a problem but coming up with a solution. But be sure to have properly thought through your solutions before sharing them – half-baked ideas won’t cut it.

And offer to book those next sessions in. Offer to co-ordinate the people. Show that you can put words into action.

Think of it like a chef in a busy kitchen with minimal staff, orders stacking up, washing piling in the corner and not enough plates to get the meals out. You can either walk into the kitchen and tell them they don’t have enough plates, or you can roll up your sleeves and get scrubbing.

You may still got knocked back. Don’t be surprised if that’s the case. Some people are just too busy, already have plans they believe in, or just simply can’t accept the offer.

But as the pressure continues to mount and they’re looking for help, you’ll be at the top of their list of allies to call upon.

Ditch Your Own Ego

Getting the right outcome sometimes requires sacrifice.

Compromise for the greater good is part of the process. If you let your own ego stand in the way, you may very well miss the mark.

You can’t always change other people. But you can influence them, but it requires you to modify your own approach. And, trust me, you’ll develop a skill that many don’t have – and a skill that will serve you throughout your entire career. And probably your personal life, too.

If you do this well, you’ll come away with three things;

• A favourable outcome (likely the outcome you want)
• A reputation as a problem solver and an ally
• More opportunities and exposure

Problem solving isn’t just about figuring out the solution. It’s about selling it. Without that, it’s just another idea on a page that will never see the light of day.

If you need help developing strategies to communicate with and influence your stakeholders, get in touch with me today. I’m sure I can help.

Speak soon.

Joe.