For senior leaders in organisations, one of the most difficult challenges concerns winning buy-in to a new initiative, i.e. a major programme of change that will affect what is done within the organisation – in other words, to change its culture. Winning such buy-in is dependent upon the quality of the senior leader’s ‘Strategic Influencing’ behaviour.
Many different people, within and outside the organisation are likely to be affected by the change proposition. Communicating why the change is necessary and how it is going to be carried out is not a ‘one size fits all’ exercise because people are individuals. Accordingly, knowing what ‘hot buttons’ people possess allows the communication to be tailored so that the ideas will appeal to most by virtue of anticipating and addressed areas of likely known concern. In this way, individuals can feel as they are being spoken to personally although they are within a large audience receiving the message.
GMI provides vital information to help leaders in their effective delivery of Strategic Influencing behaviour and so succeed in getting people to follow them and buy into their ideas rather than face resistance and protracted disagreement.
