Responding to earlier comments by Bill Hendy, Scott Simmerman, and
more:
I have rarely found that getting senior management to "buy in" or
"selling" a cause or idea to senior management is successful.
Rather, with my teams, associates, etc., I try to devise processes
wherein senior management is part of creating the process or the
solution at every stage. Thus, when ideas are implemented, managers
have been part of the process so intimately that it is their process,
too.
Some ways we do this is to ask teams to provide regular minutes,
feedback, and presentations to senior management. I ask a senior
manager to sponsor or provide guidance for every group that is
working on an issue. I ask senior managers to participate in every
planned change process. (at least one representative) I never
blind-side senior management with surprises...always update them as
we go.
In these ways, we build management commitment as we move to implement
ideas. After all, how would you feel if a group of people redesigned
your work area, your goals, your future without your input?
Pardon if these comments are off track. I always experience
difficulty knowing where threads started.
Regards,
Susan
--Susan M. Heathfield Heathfield Consulting Associates 4100 Thatcher Rd. Williamston, MI 48895-9406 517.655.3320 s.heathfield@tsc.techsmith.com
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