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When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.
DO THIS
Align your work with their agenda.
BY DOING THIS
– Ask them to clarify their issue or concern.
– Demonstrate how your work will help them.
– Adjust your approach to accommodate their comments.
Blockers are people who raise barriers to your success. They either don’t want something done or they want it done differently. Justifying your actions with facts is effective in the short term, but it won’t resolve the issue; blockers keep blocking until there is no benefit to doing so. A more effective approach is to demonstrate how your work will help them out.
Understanding their issue and how they believe the change you are working on will harm them is the first step in neutralizing the blocker. Next, demonstrate how your work will benefit them. If it doesn’t, demonstrate how alternative approaches will harm them more. Finally, make any adjustments (that won’t compromise your objective) to get them on your side, or at least to not block your success.
KNOWLEDGE BITES
ALIGNMENT SCRIPT TOOL: How will I neutralize a blocker?
SUCCESS TIP
Saying “thank you” as you leave reinforces the commitment you’ve made with each other and demonstrates your appreciation for that commitment.
For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the Overcoming a Blocker podcast episode with HR and change management expert Dr. Jamie Gruman.
Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and Change with Confidence, host of the Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.
#change #changemanagement #transformation #leadership #projectmanagement #resistance #podcasts
