(Pt. 2) Things that Kill Strategy Execution #2: Objectors

On the road to executing strategy and the things you want to implement in your firm, you're going to run into people who object to the things needed to get there. It's a guarantee.

Last week, ​​​we talked about how you, as a leader, can influence how people receive your strategic initiatives and we identified the two distinct types of objectors.

If you missed it, I suggest you start there and come back to this one.​

This week, I'll share my approach to dealing with each type of objector so you can earn their buy-in and move forward toward accomplishing what you've set out to accomplish as a firm.

The strategies I'll share today were foundational to our efforts at Baker Tilly, where we were able to gain buy-in to some progressive ideas that further propelled our scaling efforts.

Let's dive in.

How to Overcome Objectors to Get Buy-In

Different objectors require different approaches. Here's the distinction between the two:

Overcoming Level 1 Objection

Level 1 Objectors are innocent in nature. They are nervous about the unknown. Fearful of leaving what's comfortable.

While problematic, these folks aren't necessarily dangerous.

To gain their buy-in, you typically have to appeal to their heart.

Remind them of where we're going, why we're headed there, and appeal to the camaraderie and sense of partnership behind everyone rowing in the same direction to get there.

In addition, the thing you need to focus on with Level 1 Objectors is alleviating their nerves. Engage with them to understand what they believe to be risky and work with them on how to mitigate that risk.

Many times that means explaining how their perceived risk is not the reality of what will happen. Other times, it requires taking action to alleviate what they perceive to be risky.

One time I wanted to move someone from a production-oriented role to a firmwide leadership role. The person was extremely nervous. Why?

Because they were comfortable. They knew the system and were worried about how the move would affect their compensation.

After understanding where their nerves came from, I came up with a solution and offered to guarantee their comp in the new role.

This move was so important to me, I felt the guarantee was a small cost to ‘invest’ and I was confident this person would produce.

At the end of the day, the organization was likely to benefit in the long run anyway—spoiler alert, it did.

The point is, Level 1 Objectors can typically be addressed by appealing to their emotions and identifying and alleviating risk.

Then there's the next group...

Overcoming Level 2 Objection

Level 2 Objection is intentional. These objectors represent legitimate resistance.

They are much more than "nervous"—they are adamantly against change and the direction you want to take the organization.

They are more dangerous because they have the power to completely derail your strategy initiatives. From my experience, it so happens that the biggest objectors also tend to hold a lot of power and influence within the organization.

It's by no means a rule, but Level 2 Objectors are often in a producer or leadership role that touches many people in the company—which is part of how they've figured out how to work the system so well in their favor.

So how do you approach these people?

Well, I can tell you from experience, you've got to get ready to dig your heels in.

It's less about appealing to their hearts and more about appealing to their minds.

I'm not suggesting you need to prepare to battle them, but you need to be ready to negotiate with them in a much more direct way.

Remember: Just because you experience resistance to your initiatives doesn't mean you are wrong and it doesn't mean it can't work.

It just means you've got an uphill battle to get there.

My biggest piece of advice is to seek to identify their #1 priority. Sure, there's likely a handful of things they object to, but what's at the heart of it all? What are they most afraid of losing?

From experience, there's always one thing that holds the most weight and therefore power at the negotiation table for Level 2 Objectors.

Your job is to identify that one thing and try to solve for it—with the understanding that the objector will have to let go of the rest.

You, as the leader, must be willing to give one thing in order to get the rest.

The only way to uncover the one thing is to engage the objector in direct 1:1 conversation. Likely many of them...

Hold your ground. Be curious. Seek to understand.

Once you get a feel for their #1 priority, seek to 'strike a deal', so to speak.

If you can get the buy-in of a Level 2 Objector, you're now on your way to accomplishing what you've set out to do.

And give yourself a pat on the back, because that's some tough work!

What if you can't get their buy-in?

Look, sometimes it's just not going to work.

You aren't able to reach some kind of agreement that allows you to execute your strategy and satisfies the objector's #1 priority. It happens!

I once had a Level 2 objector whom I struggled with for many years…

Hugely successful in building their own coalition—one whose voice carried throughout the firm.

We battled over the years, to say the least.

In the end, I realized that they used rules and structure (i.e. math) as the cover for the fact that they simply weren’t someone who could exist in a horizontal operating model.

They knew one way to incentivize and get more out of people and any other way was not going to work for them… They were not a both-and leader.

It took me many attempts to rehabilitate them and in the end, separating was not only best for the organization, but for them as well.

Remember: Your ultimate allegiance is to the organization and executing strategy.

As the old saying goes... "If you can't change the people, change the people."

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When I advise CEOs and firm leaders, one of the things I often do is help them amplify their message and navigate transformation.

This stuff is hard.

Many leaders have found it helpful to have someone who's been down this journey many times—and successfully navigated it—in their corner. You don't have to figure all of this out on your own.

If you're working through overcoming resistance and objection, send me a reply or use one of the links below and we can find a time to talk through it.

That's it for this week, see you next.

With intention,
Alan D Whitman