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Home > Topics > Test & Evaluation > Detail: The Art of Persuading Management
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The Art of Persuading Management
By Naomi Karten
  
Summary: You can't get your manager to give you what you want if he won't listen to you. Naomi suggests some strategies—including being methodical, gathering data, properly timing your requests, and practicing what you plan to say—that can help you make your case to the powers that be. | | |
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Stew was venting. "I-give-up-I-give-up-I-give-up."
"OK, take a deep breath and slow down. Now, what's the problem?” Bruce loved being a mentor. Stew had been a great developer, but as a new project manager, he was still a little rough around the interpersonal edges.
"It's Jake," Stew said. "You'd think a manager would want his teams to succeed. But he just won't listen."
"Listen to whom about what?" Bruce asked.
"To me, of course, about our next project. I want my team to be able to work entirely from home. It's a great idea, but Jake didn't want to hear it."
"Are you saying he wouldn't listen to you at all, or that you made a case and he rejected it?"
"Oh, I made a case, all right, and yeah, he rejected it. Outright. Just like that." Stew slapped his hands together, squash-a-mosquito style.
"OK," Bruce said, "what did you say to try to persuade Jake?"
"I told him how much more productive team members would be if they worked at home. No commuting, no time wasted in meetings, no interruptions. Ergo, happier employees. Everybody's doing it."
"Whoa!" Bruce signaled Stew to stop. "Who's everybody?" Stew was ready with an answer: two telecommuting
friends of his who worked almost entirely at home.
"How has it worked out, not only for them but also for their team and their projects? And how has it worked out for their company?"
Stew started to answer, then stopped short. "Uh, well, I know they like not spending half their lives in rush hour traffic. Other than that, I guess I don't know."
Bruce raised his eyebrows. "A good starting point in being persuasive is to know what you're talking about. What is the impact of your friends' telecommuting on project timeframes? Costs? Security risks? How do team members stay in contact and in synch? And what's involved in transitioning to home-based development? It's great that your friends are happier, but Jake needs to know the impact on the project and the business."
"So, I need to check out the facts?" Stew asked sheepishly.
"Sure do," Bruce said. "Claiming that 'everybody's doing it' is a mistake. Obviously, not everyone is doing it, whatever it is, so speaking in absolutes--always, never, everybody, nobody--is automatic points off.
"Instead," Bruce continued, "find compelling examples to support your case. In addition, list the potential pitfalls
and how to avoid them. The fact that you've considered both sides of the issue will show Jake that you've given the matter serious thought." Bruce had a way of hitting nails on the head.
"Another thing: Make sure you consider Jake's perspective. How will he benefit from your idea? How will it help him be seen as successful by his superiors? And what does he emphasize when he seeks to persuade? For example, if he stresses facts and figures, do the same. If he focuses on the impact on people, try to orient your points similarly. The better you relate your case to Jake's priorities and preferences, the better your chances of winning him over.
"Now tell me," Bruce said, "when did you try to present your case to Jake?"
"Right after he returned from the off-site," Stew said, certain that this, at least, he had done right. "I wanted to be the first one to get to him his first morning
back."
Seeing the "oh no, you didn't" look on Bruce's face, Stew realized he was about to learn something that should have been obvious. "When you're trying to be persuasive, timing matters. Piles of problems probably awaited Jake's return. If you want his undivided attention, don't drop in unannounced. Schedule a meeting at his convenience.
"One other thing," Bruce added. "If you're going to try to make a persuasive case in person, practice your delivery. Prepare as if you're about to give a formal presentation--which, actually, you are."
Stew felt emboldened by Bruce's advice. "So you're saying that if I do these things, Jake will give me the thumbs up?"
Bruce shook his head. "Not at all. By doing these things, you'll stand a better chance of having your ideas heard and
considered. But no matter what you do, you won't win them all--Jake has issues of his own that will influence his decision. And for a major proposal like this one, it may take time for him to come around. Maybe it'll be for the next project instead of this one--or the one after that. Getting buy-in for a major change takes patience and quiet persistence.
"The most important thing to remember: If you want to be persuasive, avoid doing things that will make you unpersuasive."
"Ah," Stew said, "you've persuaded me." {end}
Which of Stew's mistakes offered lessons from which you can learn? What steps will you take next time you want to persuade management?
Join the conversation below or start a new one in the Member Comments section.
About the Author
Naomi Karten has delivered seminars and presentations to more than 100,000 people internationally to help them improve customer satisfaction, strengthen teamwork, and manage change. Her books and ebooks, including
Managing Expectations and Changing
How You Communicate During Change, provide guidelines and advice for carrying out projects, delivering superior service, strengthening teamwork, and managing change. Her Web-based. newsletter, "Perceptions & Realities.," offers serious advice in a lively, chuckle-generating manner. She is a regular contributor to StickyMinds.com and Better Software magazine. Contact Naomi at naomi@nkarten.com or via her Web site,
www.nkarten.com.
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