The Enrolling Leader
Here’s a thought!
How would you go about getting the nation behind a £50bn project?
How about even the very people who, you’d think, are going to benefit from it most?
I did a gig in Manchester last week with 170 senior UK construction professionals, mainly from the North West (great series of networking events by the way, worth checking out: www.built-environment-networking.com
During the plenum session Keith Griffiths, the organiser, asked the panel: “What do you think of HS2?”
None were favourably inclined.
Someone called for a show of hands. One person was in favour, a handful including me were undecided and the rest, about 160, were against.
I was gobsmacked!
Repeat: the vast majority of these North-Western senior construction professionals were against a £50bn project intended to bring work and prosperity – to them.
In discussion afterwards the consensus seemed to be ‘we can spend the money on better things’. Clearly someone has got some enrolling to do, and on a huge scale, if people are going to get behind this scheme.
Now what about your big idea? How are you going to enrol the necessary people into making it happen?
People talk about ‘hearts and minds’. I bet you have the ‘minds’ bit handled – a well reasoned, rational and logical pitch including, of course, the all important ‘what’s in it for them’.
But what about the ‘hearts’ bit?
If you’re like me, an engineer by training, the rational argument is king, and at the heart of the rational argument, we think, is self interest.
What about ‘hearts’? That’s vague, unreliable, strange and foreign territory.
But nearly two decades of supporting organisational change in the construction industry has taught me that, without emotional engagement among your people for your big idea, you’ll never get buy in.
In fact, the harder you hammer them with logic, the more they tend to shut down. (Do you like pushy sales pitches?)
Without the emotional connection, your project, goal, big idea will be hard work for you and all concerned. So how do you make it? Worth a thought? Worth a discussion? Give me a call on 07904 186855.
If you are interested in the ‘people’ side of your business, the so called ‘soft issues’, then you will find our book 21st Century People Leadership useful. If you would like a copy please send your details to tracey@dsabuilding.co.uk and we will send to you by post, free.
The Guy Fawkes edition of ‘The Leader’ will be with you on Tuesday 5th November 2013.