Starting Off on the Right Foot

Approaching People about a New Idea in a Natural Way

As a consultant working to get a project off to a good start, or to improve some aspect of a project already underway, I come in initially as an outsider. I assume a temporary role as a deployment leader, or work closely with the local person filling that role.

Below is a sample conversation describing how I would introduce the deployment of an executive strategy to a front line employee. It nevers happens exactly like I present it here but I have tried to lay the main ideas out clearly enough. You'll recognize the "Catchball" technique and "A3 management ideas". In real life of course, discussions occur in a more natural back-and-forth way and may be more specific or even technical in nature depending on the circumstances.

(After introducing myself and stating I am representing a particular executive)

Deployment Leader: “I hear you, your team, and the rest of the people here do a great job, and lots of people depend on you for the products and services you provide them. You are part of an important company. I bet that makes you feel good.” (this is sincere - I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true - people would pick up on it and I would lose my chance to build honest rapport)

Front Line Employee: “Yes. It does.”

Deployment Leader: “Plenty of people around here have told me they feel the same way. The boss wants to keep that feeling here and make it better. He sees things are changing for your business, (insert relevant information here about the marketplace challenges), things that might get in the way if we don’t figure out how to respond – you know, with ways we can change things to stay out in front of the competition.

He’s got an idea about what he believes needs to happen and he asked me to explain it to you and then talk to you about it. He asked me to listen carefully to what you have to say because he wants what’s best and he said you know a lot about how this place works. My job at the moment is to explain his idea, listen to what you have to say, write down any concerns you have, and then come back later and talk to you about how we’ll work it out so your concerns are taken care of. It may take a little back and forth to get it right.

I’ll be doing the same with others in the organization so it will take some time. In a couple of weeks we’ll meet in larger group. By then our plan should be mostly worked out, and you will already know the main points, so our meeting will to go over the plan and take care of some final details.

What we are doing is important since it’s about the future of your company. Nailing down the best ideas for keeping this place strong, and figuring out how to put those ideas to work in ways we agree are smart, makes a lot of sense to me. Does it make sense to you?”
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Doing my homework beforehand so I know what the company does, who the customers are, and why they rely on the company I am working with is critical. I also need to know how the executive(s) in charge of the strategy sees things so I speak on their behalf in the right way. It does not take long but the prep work is important part of what must be done to help people see me as someone who is working a process designed to "get things right".

Let me know if you find these kind of 'more "real life" descriptions helpful.