Championing Your Ideas at Work: Becoming Your Own Best ... · Becoming Your Own Best Advocate Dr....

Institute for Management Studies • 201 W Liberty St • Ste 100 • Reno NV 89501 • (775) 322-8222 • www.ims-online.com

The Institute for Management Studies 37 Years of Executive Education Excellence

Presents

Championing Your Ideas at Work:

Becoming Your Own Best Advocate

Dr. John Daly

Liddell Professor of Communication TCB Professor of Management University of Texas at Austin

(512) 471-1948 [email protected]

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Building Advocacy Skills

John A. DalyUniversity of Texas

(512) [email protected]

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SUCCESS!WastedInvestment

WastedOpportunity

LuckyBreak

Idea Quality

Poor Good

Low

High

AdvocacySkill

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Tim Berners-Lee David Warren

Ken Kutaragi

Pitched the idea of the WWW

Successfully advocated the

Sony PlayStation

Convinced the aviation industry

to use “black boxes”

Carli FiorinaDespite

opposition, sold the idea of

merging HP and Compaq

Father of the European

Community

Jean Monnet

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William Campbell & Mohammed Aziz

Art Fry

Joan Ganz Cooney

Claire PattersonConvinced Merck to

manufacture and donate Mectizan

Subversively sold Post-It Notes to 3M

Successively convinced that

world that leaded gasoline was

dangerous

“Sold” the idea of Sesame Street

Edith GreenSuccessfully

pitched Title IXRobin Warren& Barry Marshall

Spent 20 years convincing the world that

bacteria caused ulcers

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Components of Advocacy

Build Credibility & Affinity

InfluenceOthers

Communicate Clearly

CreatePartnerships

Pre-SellYour Idea

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Communicate Clearly

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A. Know your goal and purposeB. Drop what is unimportantC. Chunk what remainsD. Structure your information for memorability

- Primacy/recency- When each works

Enhancing the Clarity of Your Messages

Organize Your Message for Impact

PrimacyEffect

RecencyEffect

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A. Defining redundancy- repetition is not redundancy

C. Redundancy makes you more interestingB. Redundancy improves memorability

- always offer two examples of a concept

- beware of seductive details- offer visual and concrete concepts- follow the tell-show-do-respond method

Be Redundant


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A schema is a category system people have for organizing information

Focus on Your Listener’s Schema


Schemas help people remember information

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The Elevator Problem

The manager of a large office building has been receiving an increasing num

ber of com

plaints about the building’s elevator service, particularly during rush hours. Several of the long term

tenants in the building have threatened to moveout unless the service is

improved. In response, the m

anager recently inquired into the possibility of adding one or two elevators to the building. Although it would be feasible, the only elevator com

pany in the area has a six m

onth backlog of orders. As an assistant to the manager, you were

asked to come up with a plan to get two new elevators installed within three m

onths. You m

ust present the plan at the next staff meeting.

Please circle one problem statem

ent

1. To get two elevators within three months

5. To keep upset tenants from m

oving 2. To im

prove elevator service in the building6. To keep the offices fully rented

3. To get more people out of the building faster

7. To keep the manager happy with m

e4. To keep the tenants in the building happy

8. To keep my job

List several possible solutions for the problem statem

ent you’ve chosen1._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________this exercise was devised by CRA

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Schemas aid people in understanding


- The problem statement you choose shapes the solutions you generate

- always make sure there is agreement about what the problem is- when no solution seems to work, change the statement of the problem

fight to define the problem--whoever wins the problem, determines the solutions

Create decisionagendas

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Schemas can explain why people often misunderstand what we are saying


- Listeners assume you are talking about one “category”and you are talking about another

- Listeners “fill in the blanks”—they assume everything goes into a category even if you didn’t mention

_________ __________

_________ __________

_________ __________

_________ __________

_________ __________

_________ __________

. . .

. . .

. . .

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1. You can adapt your message to your listener’s schema

2. You can create a new schema for your listener


Use schemas to enhance your effectiveness

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Create Demand

You always have a choice: push vs. pull

push: you convince them they need itpull: they believe they need it so they seek it out

What do the booksellers of the 1920s, the grocery business of the 1930’s, Arm & Hammer baking soda,

and Nokia have in common?


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Building Credibility and

Affinity

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Understanding Your “Brand” Name

What are some famousbrands in the world?

Why do firms worry so much about their brands?

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Understanding Your “Brand” Name

You are a “brand” in your organization

A major task of leaders is to build and protect

the brand name of their organization.

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Understanding Your “Brand” NameWhat is a brand?

- familiar: we immediately recognize the brand- attention: we pay more attention to the brand- preferable: given a choice we select the brand- cachet: they give us status- quality: we perceive the brand to be high quality- dependable: we trust products using the brand- valued: we willingly pay more for the brand- extendable: we accept and buy new products us

that fit the brand name

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Rejection

Non-Recognition

Association/Recognition

Preference

Insistence

Levels of BrandFamiliarity

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Technical TasksLeadership,People,Advocacy Tasks

Preference

Insistence

Beware Of Insistence When It Comes To Technical Tasks

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What’s My Brand?

Quiz Trusted Colleagues

360 Degree Feedback

Ask Your Loved Ones

See WhatYou’re

Chosen For

Volunteer for Roles and Seethe Reaction

Are You Part of a Valued

Unit?

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Bolstering Your Brand Name

Leave the Firm

Move Within the Firm

Hope for an “Outside” Boss

Reinvent Your Brand Name

Basic Principle: You Won’tGet Discovered! You

Need to MakeYourself Discoverable

Keep Different Company

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Enhancing Your “Brand” Name

Principle of Resources: The individual who has more resources has greater impact.

What resources do you offer your firm?

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

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The only resources that “matter” are those that are valued within your firm.

Principle of Scarcity: Resources that are particularly scarce are very valued

Bottom Line: Develop resources that are both valued and scarce within your firm. What might these be?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Your competitiveadvantage

Value

low

high

Scarcity (uniqueness)not at all very

Move to your Competitive Advantage

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Faith(Good will)

Honesty(keep promises)

Reliability(consistency)

Trust

Creating and Maintaining Trust

Competency(Knows)

Vulnerability(Open)

Engaging in behaviors desired by other but not by self; no misplaced

benevolence; trusting others

Consistency in messages & standards

No Lies or false feedback

Consistent business performance; Dealing effectively with problems

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Building Competency Perceptions

Appear knowledgeable; be prepared more than others; details matterEven turkeys fly in hurricanes…how do you perform in the tough time; Never waste a crisesBe know for multiple competenciesBig picture thinkingWork from your strengths….but…what is your greater strength is often also your greatest weakness (Fast runners fall harder) Effortful-effortless principle

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Stay Attentive and Responsive

A. Act Attentive

B. Show Responsivenesswe prefer understanding to agreements

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Developing Perspective Taking Skills

Seek out “interests” that underlie “positions”

Position Possible Interests“I want a raise”

“You are absolutely wrong”

“Why don’t you listen to me?”

What? Why?

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Master Spontaneous Rewards

Notice small things about people that matter to themMake yourself important to the people most important to themRecognize people in unexpected places“Thank you”—publicly and frequentlyThank people you don’t even knowRecognize their attempts to pleaseShow up for things that matter to them Remember people’s namesMake people feel important

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Create Partnerships"The quality of the people is less important than the quality of

the connections between them."

Reuben McDaniel

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Networking Skills

1. You have a bigger network than you think2. Never underestimate the value of “connecting”

Metcalfe’s Law: the value of a network grows asthe square of the number of its users

3. Don’t burn bridges--you may need them later4. Keep in touch—regularly5. Proximity matters

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6. Do favors that cost you a little and gain you a lot; be proactive--offer favors before they are asked. Remember the “Platinum Rule”: Do unto others as they would have done unto themselves

7. Keep records--stay personal- note individuating characteristics—whatmakes them unique

8. Exercise your network--a network that you don’t use, goes away

9. Network others—become the parent of relationships10. Stay memorable (e.g., business cards)

Name:____________________

Address:__________________

_________________________

Numbers:_________________

_________________________

E-mail:___________________

Individuating Characteristics:

_________________________

_________________________

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- weak links matter (acquaintances count even more than friends because they have different sorts of links)

11. Differentiate between power and position---never assume that position implies power-- look for the informal influencers12. Befriend those without friends13. Seek out opportunities to expand your network

Weak Links

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Building Close Relationships Through Stories

- Our lives revolve around stories- We think narratively- We learn many of our values via stories- We create and share bonds through stories

- Stories are an especially effective way of communicating your ideas- People often “get it” through stories


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Successful Narrative

SettingMain Characters

Characters’ Goals

Obstacles Encountered

Resolution

The grammar of a story

interesting and fun; what do they look like, what do they sound like

Event-Action-Suspense-Resolution

Lesson

Learned

Lesson that matches values

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Keys for effective narrative:Has a point; What do you want your listener to feel, believe, and remember from your story?

Told quickly

People need to sense you care about it

Inclusive—others need to grasp idea and feelings

Vivid details matter

Validate basic values

Is personal

If you can’t tell stories, use interesting factoids

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Pre-Selling Your Ideas

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Understand your idea and what matters to you about it

Must Issues

Should Issues

Nice Issues

• Have contingency plans ready--alternatives are important

• Give on what is not important—love the outcome, not the product

• Frequency matters more than size

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Strengths: What are our strengths that make it possible to pitch this idea? What makes this idea especially good? Weaknesses: What weaknesses exist in our environment that mandate this idea? Opportunities: What opportunities exist, right now, that make this the right time to pitch this idea?Threats: What is wrong with the status quo? What external threats mandate we adopt this idea? What are our vulnerabilities? Why now?

SWOT

Strengths

Threats(vulnerability)

Weaknesses(constraints)

Opportunitiesmatch

convertconvert

Minimize/avoid Minimize/avoid

Internal External

What are the advantages of the idea? What does

this idea do well?

What are the positive changes facing us? What are the favorable trends?

What could be improved? What is done

poorly?

What factors are threatening us? What

could “kill” us?

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Create A Need

Have A Plan

Show Benefits

What HappensIf We Don’t Adopt

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Economics Creates Opportunities

Flush times are better, in most cases; argue for making moneyIn tough times, saving money seems keyIn good times, no radical risksRadical risks in tough economic timesCommit to the long termUnderstand the budget cycleGrasp where you are in the business cycle (e.g., announcing new product leaves customers unwilling to buy old product—inventory of old builds)

Timing Matters

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Establish the Urgency (Why Now?)

Crises encourage innovation (resolve a problem)•Competitors•Regulators•Major Failures•Time pressure (first mover)•Media

Market demand

Interdependencies (without X we cannot do Y)

Time pressure

Powerful people

Consequences of not acting

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Timing MattersFeasibility---can the idea be implemented?

Graft to current ideas or existing strategies

Demonstrate doability

Reassure that talent and technology is available

The “almost done”strategy

Changes create opportunities

New strategy (our idea fits our new strategy)

Leadership changes

New internal issues the firm is facing

New external issues the firm is facing

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Feelings About Idea

Knowledge & Understanding About Idea

Negative

Positive

Low High

Cheerleaders

AdversariesCynics

Naïve Followers

Abandon; Use Power

Bolster; Inoculate

Inform; Involve; Grounded Commitment

Inform; Persuade

SkepticsAnswer Questions; Inform; Persuade

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Organizations Differ in How Quickly They Adopt New IdeasProspectors

Seek out new opportunities; Value being first in the marketplace; broad scanning for opportunities

Analyzers

Fast followers; Bring a cost-efficient model to market; Great imitators; multiple markets; steady growth

Defenders

Find a secure niche --protect it; focus on market penetration; solve engineering problems; single core technology

Reactors

Respond only when forced to by the market; no clear business model; incoherent internally

Miles & Snow, 1978; Griffin & Page, 1996

-% profit from new products-% sales from new products-Products lead to new opportunities-Wide product mix-Multiple technologies-Marketing/R&D lead-Decentralized control-Task forces/project teams-Acquisition common

-Development program ROI-Matrix structure-New product fit with business strategy- Stable product mix-Success/failure rate-% profit from new products-Low cost- Complex planning-Marketing/Applied research lead

-Focused/narrow market; limited product range-New product fit business strategy-Emphasize efficiency & cost control-Invest in process improvement, not new products-Centralized control-Acctg/production lead-Measure against self

-Development program ROI-New product fit with business strategy-Success/failure rate-Overall program success-Short-term orientation-Problem specific reactions-Limited viability

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Building Advocacy SkillsEffective Advocates Seek a Competitive Advantage

Person “What’s in it for them?”

Know the answer to WIIFT

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Match Your Proposal to Decision-Makers’ Needs and Wants

Organizational ReputationFinancialEfficiencyIndividual StatusRelationship EnhancementProductivitySafety/SecurityAppearing Effective or CreativePleasing Customers

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Preparing to PersuadeWhat Are The Likely Objections?

Objection Response Objection Response“We lack the resources”“I have a better idea”“It will be too hard to do”“I don’t like you”

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Preparing to Persuade

Handling Objections & Questions

Over-prepareBe the master of the follow-up responseListen carefully (are you listening or just waiting to talk?)Use every concern as an opportunity to further your caseTurn negatives into positiveTreat each as a valid concernClarify rather than argue

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- Labels become the shorthand for your idea- Get people to use your label- Understand what you label brings to mind- Use labels to quash ideas


Labeling is a key skill

Effective Advocates Seek a Competitive Advantage

NAVSEA – INDIAN HEAD Naval Surface Warfare Center The National Center for Energetics

Get a label branded in decision-makers’ minds

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Because of _______ you can _________ which means ________(feature) (function) (benefit)

Features are different from benefits

Feature Function Benefit

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The anchoring bias- People reference anchors they have for information

Effective Advocates Understand Biases

The availability heuristic

- People emphasize vivid, most available information

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“Harris Interactive recently polled 23,000 U.S. residents employed full-time within key industries and in key functional areas. Consider a few of their most stunning findings:

• Only 37% said they have a clear understanding of what their organization is trying to achieve and why• Only one in five was enthusiastic about their team’s and organization’s goals• Only one in five said they have a clear “line of sight” between their tasks and their team’s and organization’s goals.• Only 15% felt that their organization fully enables them to execute key goals• Only 20% fully trusted the organization they worked for.

If, say, a soccer team had these same scores, only four of the 11 players on the field would know which goal is theirs. Only two of the 11 would care. Only two of the 11 would know what position they play and know exactly what they are suppose to do. And all but two players would, in some way, be competing against their own team members rather than the opponent.”

Stephen Covey, The 8th Habit

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Escalation & Entrapment- People can get trapped into positions they don’t want

to take

Building Advocacy SkillsEffective Advocates Understand Biases

The norming bias- People don’t want to appear deviant, especially in uncertain situations

The likelihood that teenagers will become addicted to cigarettes increases with every smoking scene they see in movies

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Influence Others

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Balance Theory

Building Advocacy SkillsEffective Advocates Influence Opinions

- People prefer consistency among their beliefs- When people believe there are inconsistencies among

their beliefs they will try to restore consistency by making a change

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“Lite” Beer

Famous AthletesJohn

+

+

?

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“God” Term

Your IdeaYour Listener

++

?

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Perceived Confidence

Perceived Competence

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Language intensity: The degree to which yourlanguage choices vary from neutrality.

Perceptions of confidence are associated with greater language intensity.

My idea is: Okay Good Great

The new project has__________ potential

His skills are _______

Lots of

Adequate

Issue Low Moderate High

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Too much

Confidence

Judgment

Where most of us

are

Range of opportunity

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Strong qualifiers: Qualifiers can weaken or strengthenyour statements

A marker of confidence is the use of strong qualifiers

“I think this idea might be one we maybe should consider.”

The new plan is one I think we might explore. It has somefeatures that could possibly make it somewhat successful.Apparently, there are a few features that could, undersome circumstances, be helpful. But, it will depend upon how much it costs. It isn’t really that expensive so we should probably adopt it.

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Lexical diversity: The amount of variation in your wordchoice

Perceptions of confidence are associated with greaterlexical diversity

Firm -- Organization -- Company -- BusinessPlan -- Proposal -- Idea -- Concept

Problem

Talkative

Clear

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Vivid details: How vividly and detailed your statements arewhen describing an event, idea, person, or product

Confidence is associated with more vivid detailsThe car drove past the stop sign.The red car drove past the stop sign.The red sports car drove past the stop sign.

The car drove past the stop sign.The red sports car sped past the

stop sign.

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Estim

ated

Spe

ed

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smashed collided bumped hit contacted

Loftus & Palmer, 1974

Vivid Language Affects People’s Judgments

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Make Declarations: The degree to which your languageIs direct, clear, unam

biguous; no jargon

Martin Luther King: “I have a dream”vs. “I have a strategic plan that will enhance our com

petitive opportunities”Thomas Jefferson wrote the “Declaration of Independence”not a Colonial “white paper”

“We need to m

odify our logistical supply chain to bolsterthe velocity of our delivery system

s to our markets”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“His perform

ance on the team project far exceeded the param

eters of expected quality”____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Use powerful metaphors, analogies: People often

“get it”with a strong metaphor or analogy

-"We have gone from

boom to bust faster than anytim

e since the oil shock," said S

tephen S. R

oach, the chief economist of M

organ Stanley, a

New

York investm

ent bank. "When you screech to a halt like that,it feels

like getting thrown through the w

indshield.“

-The experience of going through an in-depth audit by the IRS

is “an autopsy w

ithout the benefit of death.”

We’re spending too m

uch money

________________________________________________There is a great deal of dem

and for our product ________________________________________________

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Sound organized: When you sound organized, people

believe you are more confident and com

petent

-use orienting and summarizing statements-naming points (but beware of announcing the count ahead of time)-highlight organization on visuals

We need to talk about the shift changes, the recent hires, the

benefits plan, and the consultant’s report.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Prime people unconsciously: When you use words that imply what you are seeking people will be more open to the influence

- is kind agree she very- dinner Jack ate comply his- drove oblige home he fast- off television turn the conform- watched movie he the is- to Michelle bed influenced went- the off computer convinced was- she car accept cleaned the- Marcus sick very was red- plane the off took concurred- persuaded Jeff yesterday Paula red- she tired was brought very

Source: Epley & Gilovich, JESP, 1999

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Polite Neutral Rude

Priming Matters

Percentage of people who interrupted after being primed to be polite or rude

Source: Bargh, JPSP, 1996, 71, 235

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1. Before the meeting

2. During the meeting

3. After the meeting

Building Advocacy SkillsEffective Advocates Influence Meetings

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Using Evidence as an Influence Tactic

Evidence must be seen as relevanceEvidence needs to be believableNew evidence is the best evidence Evidence should be comprehensibleBest used when:

- you think you may be seen as low credible- you think you may be seen as having vested interests- you use multiple sources - strategically cite sources of evidence

Message Strategies

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Championing Your Ideas at Work: Becoming Your Own Best ... · Becoming Your Own Best Advocate Dr....

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