Thoughts on Getting Buy-In

Do you have the buy-in you need?

Getting buy-in is more than convincing people to agree with your plan. It's about cultivating a shared purpose and building a collective vision for success. If you're pushing ideas without considering perspectives or involving others, you'll struggle to get the buy-in you need.

What does it take to get others to buy in?

Let's face it. Getting others to buy into your project or initiative can be difficult. Every organization is a complex cocktail of competing priorities; your big idea is just one of many. To stand out, you need to be influential. You need to connect with others on a deeper level and help them see the value of your proposal. Connecting requires skill, but it also requires you to use your imagination.

I apologize for the apologue

Have you ever heard the apologue about boiling a frog? It's a disturbing moral metaphor, but it's helpful nonetheless. The premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water, which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.

This disturbing fable - proven false, by the way - is a helpful way to think about how people react to change. When leaders initiate change, people respond like a frog placed suddenly into boiling water. They leap away frantically and rarely escape uninjured.

What is the moral of this story? Don't be the evil boss who is throwing frogs into boiling water! There is a better way to get others to buy in.

Subtle shifts

Subtle Shifts are small, simple movements introduced gradually over time to move us from point A to point B. The shifts are small and simple, but they aren't easy to implement because, as the word "subtle" implies, they are challenging to detect or describe.

That may be why they are so valuable for obtaining buy-in. If you introduce a change that others can't quite detect, they might adopt the change before resisting it. And once you cross over the early adopter threshold, the change will begin to take root and grow.

Subtle shifts are small but significant

Subtle shifts should not be underestimated when it comes to getting others to buy in. They are small changes that compound over time, and they are like investments that grow through compound interest.

In James Clear's book "Atomic Habits" he suggests that small habits make a big difference, and he describes the power of small shifts with the following illustration:

"The impact created by a change in your habits is similar to the effect of shifting the route of an airplane by just a few degrees. Imagine you are flying from Los Angeles to New York City. If a pilot leaving from LAX adjusts the heading just 3.5 degrees south you will land in Washington, D.C., instead of New York. Such a small change is barely noticeable at takeoff - the nose of the airplane moves just a few feet - but when magnified across the entire United States, you end up hundreds of miles apart."

Subtle shifts make choices easier

In 2008, Nobel Prize-winning economist Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein introduced us to choice architecture in their book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. The book's fundamental premise is that people can be influenced to make better choices by changing how choices are presented to them. Because cognitive biases and heuristics often influence people's decisions, minor changes to the context in which choices are made can "nudge" people towards better decisions without restricting their freedom of choice. This is precisely why subtle shifts are so powerful. Subtle shifts are the small changes to the context that lead to one's decision to buy in.

Seven Subtle Shifts

So what subtle shifts can you make to get more buy-in? Here are seven that you might consider, but the possibilities are endless.

1. Shift from "Me" to "We": Use language that emphasizes a shared goal or vision rather than a personal one. Help others feel more invested in the outcome and increase their willingness to participate.
2. Shift from "Why" to "What": Instead of trying to convince others of the importance of something, focus on what outcome you are after. Help people see the practical value of the idea and feel more motivated to get on board.
3. Shift from "Telling" to "Asking": Ask others for their input and opinions instead of dictating. Help people feel valued and engaged, and welcome their ideas and suggestions.
4. Shift from "Convincing" to "Inquiring": Instead of trying to persuade others to your point of view, ask questions that help them arrive at their conclusions. Help people feel more empowered and invested in the idea and help to build trust and respect.
5. Shift from "Presenting" to "Storytelling": Instead of simply presenting information, use storytelling to help people connect emotionally with the idea. Help people see the concept in a more relatable and memorable way and make it more compelling.
6. Shift from "Judging" to "Observing": Instead of dismissing or criticizing others' ideas, take a more neutral and curious approach. Help people feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas, leading to more constructive and collaborative conversations.
7. Shift from "Expecting" to "Empathizing": Instead of expecting others to buy into your idea automatically, try understanding their perspective and needs. Then, tailor your approach to better resonate with their interests and motivations.

One final thought

I am fascinated by how leaders like you get others to buy in. If you found this article helpful and have ideas or stories about how subtle shifts helped you drive positive, lasting, meaningful change in your organization, I'd love to hear from you! Just reply to this email to schedule a conversation, and we can jump on a zoom call to discuss it further.