I help moderatethe weekly #lrnchat Twitter discussions (Thursdays, 8:30 – 10 pm ET), and whileI’m not much of a TV watcher, I admit on occasion to running Grey’s Anatomy in the background. Arecent episode included a storyline about a woman’s second surgery to repair a botchedfirst one. The surgical resident came out to talk to the patient’s husband, whothought his wife was in surgery for a major but not extraordinary repair.
The residentbegan to gush about the surgery and said, “They’re putting her heart back in[husband looks shocked]… They had to take her heart out to repair the valve,but they’re putting it back in now. It’s good.”
The residentthought this was just the coolest, mostawesome-est thing ever, to be able totake out a human heart – on thespur of the moment – to fix it.
The husband didnot find this cool or awesome in the least.
Shooting ourselves in the foot
I see this happenall the time with people trying to gain support for implementing new learningapproaches and technologies, and I am sure I am often guilty of it myself. Whatwe find cool, others find intimidating. What we find useful, others findthreatening. What we find magical, others find scary. And the very benefits we toutare sometimes exactly what others fear (Figure 1 is a historical fantasy, butaccurate).
Figure 1: Bellinvents the telephone.
So in ourenthusiasm I worry that we are often shooting ourselves in the foot andgenerating the very resistance we’re trying to avoid. So, what to do to sellideas?
Find examples that show value
I have an entirepresentation that is nothing but screenshots of the use of social tools andmobile apps to support performance, from Apps for the Army to YouTube videos designedto offer emergency medical services staff just-in-time information onprocedures.
The challenge:for every great example, there are 10,000 more instances of kittens ridingRoombas and babies biting each other’s fingers. For every great instance ofusing virtual classroom technology for engaging, interactive training, thereare 1,000 more bad, sales-pitch-y online seminars. Our challenge is to find thosegood examples, relevant to our work, and get them in front of those we seek toinfluence.
Patience
Rentokil L&DManager Shannon Tipton, in a conference presentation on influencing leaders,talks throughout about her success with the “chip, chip, chip” approach. Do notexpect to generate change in a one-shot meeting. Chip away at resistance. Chipaway at the bad examples. Chip away at individuals and their objections one ata time. Bring the idea up again on Tuesday, and again on Friday. Look foropportunities to demonstrate a small idea, and people amenable to listening.
Stop talking
I can’t tell youthe number of times I have heard someone – people from L&D, no less – try to “explain” Twitter, or the advantagesof storyboarding, or use of a new navigation plan. Stop talking; start showing.Become fluent with examples, mockups, and demos. What the competition is doing.What the competition is not doing. Watch for opportunities to fit a solution toa real problem: my own example, for instance, in introducing Google Docs to myboss at the moment of need by just setting one up in response to her realproblem, without convening committees or offering lectures (https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/830/).
Find small wins
The lust for “enterprisesolutions” can make us slow. Look for opportunities to conduct small pilots.Recognize small wins, then document and share them. Find pockets where there isa greater likelihood of acceptance.
Find the right people
The networkadministrator is not the person who sets policy for your organization. Findthat person’s boss, or someone else who has influence over those who create thebarriers and silos. Identify ambassadors who can help carry your messageelsewhere.
Get clear about what you really need
I see people contactIT and say things like, “I want to doFacebook” or, “We should buy a Webinar product” with no supporting information.That’s not going to get you past any obstacles. Instead, try “We have a largecommunity of graduates from our leadership academy, and I need to find a way tohelp them stay connected after they finish the course… “ or, “I need a virtualtool that provides good breakout room capability, so people can work in privategroups on the sales roleplays without flying them in.” These are better ways tobegin more productive conversations.
Get clear on the business case
I find peoplehave a hard time articulating business need or desired result. “Because it’scool” is not a reason, and “because we can” is not a strategy. What problemwill it solve? Will you sell more product? Will employees in the call center beable to calm angry customers more quickly? Will we be able to keep customersfrom getting angry in the first place? Will we lower the rework rate? Will wedecrease the time spent looking for information by 34 percent? It’s no secretthat I love new technologies, but I need to be careful not to be just the geekgirl wandering around with a tool in search of a problem.
Finally: Stop cajoling and complaining anddragging. Figure out a space in which you can act, andjust DO it already.
