“Sometimes, I feel like I am fighting an uphill battle. I call a meeting and explain what I want done. We go over all the details, but it just gives some the chance to rain on the parade.” Camella had a new process she was trying to install out on the floor. “They talk it down in the meeting so it has no chance when it makes it to manufacturing. I know I want to do the right thing and get buy in before we get started, but I feel like I am stalemated.”

“Have you ever reversed the process?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” said Camella, gaining curiosity.

“Sometimes, when I know the explanation is going to draw fire, I just don’t explain. Sometimes, I just sweep people into action. Before anyone has a chance to protest or complain that something won’t work, we have demonstrated that it will work. We don’t have to go through the whole process, just enough to warm the team up to the idea. Then we debrief and go for buy-in, after they have proved to themselves that it will work.” -TF