So far, this series on Building High Performance Teams has covered chartering, launching teams, sponsorship and key stakeholders. Based on a few activities I have been involved in during the last couple of weeks, and “how do I address this” questions I have also been asked during that time, I realized I should talk about how to enroll support for your team’s work — whether that is enrolling the resources you need on your team, enrolling the managers of those resources or enrolling key stakeholders. As a consultant, this can be particularly difficult (and important) if the resources you are trying to enroll are the client’s, since you are just a passing phenomena (a nice way to say a pain in the ….) who they can outwait. But it is also important if you are competing for resources within your own firm or need people on a project that they are not interested in being on (remember that project from hell last year that you told the team they would love…) I’ll start with the most fundamental… enrolling team members (yours or the client’s).
It’s actually a very simple conversation… simple because you let the person do most of the talking. The basic format for the conversations is:
- Explain what the team is about and why this person is important to the team… “this is why I want you…” This should be short and to the point.
- Then ask: “What would it take to have you excited about being on the team?”… at which point just be quiet and listen.
- Once they are done, you can ask questions for clarification.
- Then, based on what they say, you may be able to talk about how some of the things that excite them can be met on the project or concerns can be mitigated, things you may need to consider or look into and things that you cannot address.
- If appropriate you may also discuss: “Here’s where you may have to stretch… and how I will support you.”
Why is it so important to be quiet and listen without interrupting? In cases where the person has concerns, you will typically hear those first. Great… you are letting the person begin to work through their concerns by expressing them. You may also be learning about things that can be easily addressed. More importantly, once the person finishes expressing their concerns (dumping their angst), they usually begin talking themselves into all the positive things that can come from being involved. They may caveat it with expressions like “This could never happen, but if it could…” but they are beginning to explore the possibilities. Let them go, and focus on what you can learn… what is important to them, how could participation help them get there, what concerns can be mitigated. Often, you don’t even have to say anything; the person will have talked themselves into being excited and enrolled. Much of what you discuss can be built right into the charter. This demonstrates to the team member that you are taking them seriously, and ensures you don’t forget about it.
How often have you had problems getting the support of the manager that person reports to? They probably also see you as a “passing phenomena”. It can have major impact on your team member’s performance if their manager is supporting having them involved. (You have probably been on a project which your manager agreed to have you participate in, but didn’t really see it as one of your priorities… remember what that was like!) The enrollment conversation with this resource manager follows the same pattern:
- Briefly explain what the team is about and why this person is important.
- Then ask: “What would it take to have you excited about “Jane” being on the team?”
- Once they are done, ask any questions for clarification.
- Then, based on what they say, make any necessary commitments, such as coaching the resource in a particular area, agreeing that they will get certain training or exposure, etc.
- If appropriate you may also discuss where ”Jane” may have to stretch… and how you can support her.
The conversation with a key stakeholder is also similar to the team member enrollment conversation, but in this case you are asking for the key stakeholder’s support in certain areas (and possibly involvement of them or some of their resources if necessary.)
Even if the person does not have a choice, this can be a powerful tool to get them more engaged and supportive… and it takes so little time for what you get from it.
Try it… you’ll like it.
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