I’m sure you have worked with someone who is resource protective, they operate out of fear or perhaps they just love a good helping of spice in life, like these gorgeous habaneros. Often times people find themselves working for years to create a position, gain what they perceive to be power, get comfortable or simply don’t want to upset the apple cart. So the answer is yes, change agents can be perceived as a threat. However, no need to fret, just be reminded that to enter the conversation, it requires having your tools sharp in your tool belt and ready to get some good use. Here are a few tips that I’ve seen work in these situations:
- Approach the conversation with the business vision as the core
- Tie into desired business outcomes
- Thank them for the opportunity to talk, share and/or engage
- Value them for their role within the organization and their journey
- Spend a moment to demonstrate your understanding of their expertise and value to the business
- Stand for what you have witnessed and/or experienced and use proposal based language
- Share candid and direct feedback to invite new possibilities
- Be authentic with your preferred interaction style to honor your needs as an individual
- Agree to disagree
- Set conversation norms, honor guiding principles and make sure to respect and value one another
Often times in our 140 character and information intense lives we forgot that relationships take a large amount of trust, time and work. I know, I know, the last thing one wants to do is play with wolves, but often times that can generate the most impactful outcome. It requires courage, fortitude and resilience.
The Lauren Klein 