Sequence 1: Contribution

Share the setting and your intention

• Announce that you are starting to think about the subject
• Indicate the timing of your decision
• Share the milestones
  

Involve your key stakeholders

Analyze the structures of influence present: beyond the hierarchy, who can have influence, and how?

• Recognized expertise
• Charisma
• Company history
• Lead on a similar project
• People who have no decision-making power but will be affected by your subject on a daily basis.
  

Use an Influence x Interest matrix:

Understanding stakeholders' opinions‍

Exchange with stakeholders to understand :

• Their level of interest and influence, so as to establish your diagnosis
• Their position (neutral, detractor, promoter)
• Any objections they may have

1. Ask their opinion on the subject, not on your decision

2. Use open-ended questioning:

• Anticipate objections: "I'm interested in your opinion on the technology we're about to choose. What do you think?"
• Detect possible counter-proposals: "Would you have another choice to recommend personally?"
• Detect a blocking, passive or driving status: "Your team is going to be impacted by this new techno, how would you imagine the deployment to go smoothly?"

Take the temperature with a survey

• Use anonymous surveys to avoid the " happy ears" syndrome.
• This is not a referendum: ask about the reasons and consequences of your decision, not about the decision itself.
• Ask specific questions that address the underlying issues.
• Offer the possibility of nuance: don't hesitate to use the 1 to 5 system to add nuance.
• Create a sense of urgency to complete the questionnaire by setting a deadline of 10 days.

Refine your arguments and sequence

At the end of the discussion sequence :

• You have a complete overview of key information and viewpoints on the subject
• You know the opinions of key people, who are your promoters and detractors, and with whom you'll need to spend more time.
• Adapt your vocabulary to use the words used by key people in your arguments
• You can adjust your schedule if you anticipate that it will take longer for the project/idea to go through.
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Sequence 2: A memo to explain

A memo that creates value is a memo...

• Fits on 2 pages max and takes 10 min to read
• With one foot in the future and one in the now
• Contains new information
• Uses data, especially survey data, to support its main idea
• Who immediately addresses the obvious questions
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Sequence 3: Debate

Share the essentials of the memo in 5 minutes

• Assume that everyone will have read it, so don't do a group reading.
• Review the key messages: context, decision, answers to key questions (including those that have been asked in the meantime).

Manage moments of debate

Beware of the magnifying glass effect: 3 people have spoken and suggest that this is the expression of the majority...  

• Make sure as many people as possible have their say... 
• Supporters and neutrals are always more reserved than detractors.

Beware of answering all questions immediately : 

• Being a leader doesn't mean having all the answers. 
• If you don't have an answer / you don't know, assume it and say so. 
• Make an asynchronous response if necessary.

Close the debate

• Ask if there are any other questions/doubts/objections. If they're not expressed in public, they'll have less force later on.
  
• If there are no questions, there are no questions... Avoid the "if you have any further questions, please send them to me".
• Conclude with a reminder of the next steps and what you expect from participants.