Persuading people to follow your vision is an essential skill to master.
Do it well, so they follow it well… you’ve got a great chance of success.
But if you don’t know how to win hearts and minds, they won’t go the extra mile for you.
You’ve probably experienced this many times. And, when people don’t do exactly what you want, it’s – at best – irritating. It can be career-limiting. You won’t want to experience it happening again too many times.
But imagine if you knew how to do it well. Such that every time you presented your vision, people jumped on board and busted guts to help. Imagine the benefits if you could achieve this.
Be crystal clear why change is needed. Do so in a way that resonates with them, by showing how the current situation isn’t giving them the outputs they want. Make the problem as big as you can – ‘and if this continues for the next few months, it could mean xyz'.
You want them to think ‘yes, we need to change’.
Once they realise change is essential, show them the ‘happy future place’ you want to get to. Explain how your vision will give them more of what they want and/or less of what they don’t.
You want them to think ‘yes, I’d love it to be like that’.
Be clear what each of them must do immediately, to start the journey towards the vision. This might be new things for them to start; and/or current things for them to stop. You might tell them what to do, suggest options they can choose from, or give them guidance and ask them to choose.
You want them to think ‘and I know exactly what to do right now’.
As you close this e-mail, look at today’s diary, and identify a situation where you want somebody to change their approach to something. Then, create your communication using the three steps in this Tip.