10 change agent tips...
1) When you publicize being interested in improving something, you’ll attract people who share that interest. But an interest doesn’t necessarily mean they are able to contribute. Often for good reasons. Pick co-conspirators wisely. Respect choices.
1) When you publicize being interested in improving something, you’ll attract people who share that interest. But an interest doesn’t necessarily mean they are able to contribute. Often for good reasons. Pick co-conspirators wisely. Respect choices.
2) It is easy to talk yourself into believing you have more support than you really have. Or, that people support 100% of your vision, when they actually only agree with the sound-bites.
Make a point of really, really listening. Find the true common ground.
Make a point of really, really listening. Find the true common ground.
3) Beware of the spokesperson trap where you become the figure-head for an effort. Why? Isn’t advocacy positive?
It is, but you make it that much easier to poke holes in the cause — “oh, this is all about X”. Shoot for something distributed, resilient, and hard to pin down
It is, but you make it that much easier to poke holes in the cause — “oh, this is all about X”. Shoot for something distributed, resilient, and hard to pin down
4) Initial experiments should be “safe”.
Early on you are just feeling out the situation. Reply All != safe. 1:1 coffee = safe. “Oh it is just a report of all of our past product decisions” != safe. “I’m curious about” = safe. “Here is a book on firing all managers” != safe.
Early on you are just feeling out the situation. Reply All != safe. 1:1 coffee = safe. “Oh it is just a report of all of our past product decisions” != safe. “I’m curious about” = safe. “Here is a book on firing all managers” != safe.
5) Once you believe in your mind that this is a zero-sum game, us-vs-them, an overthrow, “they are incompetent!” ... that will show. Unless you are an ace poker player it will shine through. You will project threat, and jeopardize your effort.
Try to reframe.
Try to reframe.
6) Assume you will need to show vs. tell, and try to erase the internal dialogue that doing so is unfair, or a result of *other* people being close minded or change averse. We all respond to seeing something first hand instead of someone talking at us, frustrated we don’t get it.
7) Be clear when you are talking about “people” and when you are talking about yourself. One of the most threatening things you can do is talking about some nebulous group of people in an org (e.g. “so people have been...”). Talking about your own needs is powerful.
8) Pick a mission vs. being the scattered agitator. Repetition matters. If I say “my mission for the next year is to help the team consider accessibility” that is very different than listing 12 rotating things that are broken.
9) I don’t really believe that you should fake having fun. If you are super serious, by all means be super serious. But there’s a lot to be said for gaining leverage by conveying a playful/curious approach to things. And a level of calm.
10) Related to #8, It is possible to make a really bold statement of intent in a way that brings people together vs. drops a hand grenade. I used to discount this. I thought it was being “political” or “slick”. And then I realized the leaders I most respect had a knack for this.
