How to Get Buy-In for Your Ideas

Many people do not seem to recognize that getting buy-in for their ideas is not only key to organizational success--but also to personal and career success. This is an issue that does not seem to go away or get old. Furthermore, the inter-disciplinary set-up of businesses today just makes the competency both more difficult and more valuable.

Surprisingly, there is a definite process for how actionable recommendations evolve and gain acceptance. When I say “process” I’m revealing that much of communication is built upon protocols. To a degree, communication process can be compared to software development process—to coding.

Surprisingly, there is a definite process for how actionable recommendations evolve and gain acceptance. When I say “process” I’m revealing that much of communication is built upon protocols. To a degree, communication process can be compared to software development process—to coding.

But don’t misunderstand. Though the analogy to coding is insightful, the behavioral consequences of communication are far more unpredictable and the inferences can be strikingly different and even more political. Still, basic processes exist for many communication competencies. Once internalized these communication processes (I prefer “rhetorical processes”) can be applied and adapted to differing contexts and interactions. In short, there is specific, learnable process for how actionable recommendations can have a better chance of gaining support. To begin a business recommendation or proposal, you explore data, often rather unconsciously, finding a problem or opportunity. After doing your own initial thinking, typically (again, often unconsciously) you frame the idea or recommendation, thinking through the available facts, drawing inferences, conclusions and strategies, eventually laying out your idea in print. I’ve found that putting a proposal in print with eight to ten words and with your back-up thinking in a paragraph or two can be exceptionally helpful. Looking at them in print provides you with additional angles or ideas that you’d miss otherwise. Being able to state your idea in just eight to ten words is an absolute necessity, prior to interaction.

After deciding your proposal is important, talk your proposal through, one-on-one with a trusted, knowledgeable colleague or two—if possible, persons that are technically and politically objective. It's especially important to talk your proposal through with smart wordsmiths--people who are good with language. People who can suggest both the language to use as well as the language not to use.  A couple friends can help you see the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal and its acceptance potential. They may suggest a different framing, guide you in the handling of the political dimensions of your idea, and suggest available support--or resistance for your proposal. Many business people miss this step, going straight to the deciders. Although most think this step takes more time, actually it can save time over the long haul. Just as in the problem-solving process, you want to take the time to get the problem well-defined and figure out the best language to use. And this reframing, that may include the insights of others, is comparable to redefining and reframing a problem. 

The third step is to take the information you’ve gained from your colleagues and make whatever adjustments necessary to gain buy-in from the managers, executives and power people. You may find that your partner knows about some political issues and people you need to take seriously in your framing. If your idea is complex and highly political—and all ideas have political dimensions--you’ll save time by taking your revisions back to your friend and asking for further insight, often making a second or third adjustment. Gaining buy-in for an important issue will inevitably require adjustments.

The next step is to sell the idea to the deciders. If the decider is your manager, provide lots of detail, showing that you’ve done your homework. Typically, you’ll want to prepare a document that outlines the problem—or opportunity—builds your case for action, and may even provide an appendix with research and other material that supports your case. Always make certain the document contains a clear-cut, concrete recommendation up front. You’ll want to make certain that your manager feels confident that you are well-informed and that the idea is defensible. Remember that not only is your reputation on the line, but your manager’s is too.  For a C-suite audience, in contrast to most managers, you need to get to the point quickly. That means that you’ll craft a recommendation with a sound structure and skimmable content.

The fifth step is to engage the implementers. Nearly every recommendation requires a group of people to act, and you’ll need different persuasion techniques for each group. If it’s familiar peers, then usually you can speak geek and that’ll be enough. If it also includes a wider group, you’ll need a narrative or two and some emotional arguments. That’s always necessary for building enthusiasm. And if narration and emotion are difficult for you, it’s time to gain these skills. You may need to make narration and emotion a part of your own development program. Just data and statistics will inevitably kill a proposal. You want the implementers to walk away with unforgettable information and nothing works as well as a relevant story. This is where soft skills are a lot more important than hard skills.

In sum, having a well-defined approval or “buy-in” process for recommendations will grease the decision-making, get things done and build your reputation.

After deciding your proposal is important, talk your proposal through, one-on-one with a trusted, knowledgeable colleague or two—if possible, persons that are technically and politically objective. It's especially important to talk your proposal through with smart wordsmiths--people who are good with language. People who can suggest both the language to use as well as the language not to use.  A couple friends can help you see the strengths and weaknesses of your proposal and its acceptance potential. They may suggest a different framing, guide you in the handling of the political dimensions of your idea, and suggest available support--or resistance for your proposal. Many business people miss this step, going straight to the deciders. Although most think this step takes more time, actually it can save time over the long haul. Just as in the problem-solving process, you want to take the time to get the problem well-defined and figure out the best language to use. And this reframing, that may include the insights of others, is comparable to redefining and reframing a problem. 

The third step is to take the information you’ve gained from your colleagues and make whatever adjustments necessary to gain buy-in from the managers, executives and power people. You may find that your partner knows about some political issues and people you need to take seriously in your framing. If your idea is complex and highly political—and all ideas have political dimensions--you’ll save time by taking your revisions back to your friend and asking for further insight, often making a second or third adjustment. Gaining buy-in for an important issue will inevitably require adjustments.

The next step is to sell the idea to the deciders. If the decider is your manager, provide lots of detail, showing that you’ve done your homework. Typically, you’ll want to prepare a document that outlines the problem—or opportunity—builds your case for action, and may even provide an appendix with research and other material that supports your case. Always make certain the document contains a clear-cut, concrete recommendation up front. You’ll want to make certain that your manager feels confident that you are well-informed and that the idea is defensible. Remember that not only is your reputation on the line, but your manager’s is too.  For a C-suite audience, in contrast to most managers, you need to get to the point quickly. That means that you’ll craft a recommendation with a sound structure and skimmable content.

The fifth step is to engage the implementers. Nearly every recommendation requires a group of people to act, and you’ll need different persuasion techniques for each group. If it’s familiar peers, then usually you can speak geek and that’ll be enough. If it also includes a wider group, you’ll need a narrative or two and some emotional arguments. That’s always necessary for building enthusiasm. And if narration and emotion are difficult for you, it’s time to gain these skills. You may need to make narration and emotion a part of your own development program. Just data and statistics will inevitably kill a proposal. You want the implementers to walk away with unforgettable information and nothing works as well as a relevant story. This is where soft skills are a lot more important than hard skills.

In sum, having a well-defined approval or “buy-in” process for recommendations will grease the decision-making, get things done and build your reputation.