Why don’t people around you act on good ideas and how to convince them that they should?

If you are going to drive change you may have to crush some eggs. You should not be angry with or fool someone, and you should always respect that others have different opinions than your own. Nevertheless, there is a high likelihood that you have good ideas and a will to contribute to the better, and that the people you try to convince wants to keep things as they are. They may feel their position and competence threatened, and they may simply be afraid of change. Another possibility is that they do not look at you as an advisor they can trust. Perhaps they have greater confidence in other groups they have collaborated with for a long time, or you have a role further down in the hierarchy than they have. They can also be part of a larger gang of like-minded people. Being a game changer can be a lonely role in a large organization. How can you convince others to listen to and act on good ideas?

In this talk I will describe some stereotypes. You will probably recognize some of them in your own organization or among people you have met during your career. Although we know that every person is unique, has different backgrounds, and is different from others, it’s remarkable how classifying people in groups helps when setting a strategy to convince them about your own ideas. If we don’t look for common features and characteristics based on experience there is little we can do to put a battle plan for our own agenda. However, be prepared for mistaking people. It happens all the time.