Your Colleagues Are Not The Problem...

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I used to think my colleagues were the problem {{FIRST_NAME}}.

A few years into my career, I felt like I had all the answers. I'd spent (too much) time configuring systems, reading case studies, attending the conferences, building business cases I felt were slam dunks…

But somehow, most great ideas I had died in committee.

The supplier portal that would save us 40% on processing time?

"Let's revisit next quarter."

The automated approval workflows everyone wanted that would eliminate bottlenecks?

"We need to think about this more."

The contract repository that would prevent another compliance nightmare?

"Interesting... we'll circle back."

Sound familiar?

For the longest time, I blamed everyone else. "They just don't get it. They're resistant to change. They're comfortable with broken processes."

Then I learned something that changed everything...

The problem wasn't my ideas. The problem was assuming that everyone saw the world through my eyes…

Tonight, I'll share something that will change the way you think about your next great idea.

Onwards!

📰 In this week’s edition:

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👀 In Case You Missed It…
My Best Linkedin post this week:

A job in Procurement will expose you to some pretty interesting things...

Let's be real: that shortcut in your head doesn't exist.

If you're reading this newsletter, you're someone who's curious. You're someone who enjoys learning. You're someone who values (and hopefully cultivates) critical thought.

You're probably very cartesian... You're someone who sees the world through the lens of continuous improvement, iteration and progress.

This can be a tough spot to be in...

Why?

You do the work.

You read the articles, listen to the podcasts, attend the webinars.

You talk to industry peers, other procurement professionals, market analysts.

You agree with some of it. With some you don't. You’re a critical thinker.

You've experimented. You've hit the walls. You learned the lessons.

You keep going, improving your knowledge and skills as you go...

You collect, build and refine frameworks and theories in your head.

This means you develop a good sense of the way forward. 

"It's right there!" you tell yourself...

"Why can't other people see it?"

I'll tell you why...

You're much more comfortable with change than others are.

Let me show you the data:

More than 60% of the population has never studied critical thinking tools. More than 55% of people will tell you their critical thinking skills haven't evolved since high school.

If you're doing the reading and learning I described above, you're in the upper quartiles on the “curiosity bell curve”...

Unfortunately, this means you're in the minority.

In your department, in your company, in society at large...

A 2022 Gartner survey revealed that only 38% of people are willing to support organizational change these days, compared to 74% in 2016.

I'm willing to bet this percentage shrinks further as a change moves from the ideation stage into definition and implementation...

As soon as things start getting messy (e.g. implementation), that's when people start getting skittish. ("I knew this was never going to work...")

This is why digital transformation consistently has such high failure rates…

The future you see so clearly in your mind? The "answer that's right there" which could solve a lot of your company's current problems if we could JUST DO IT? The idea which nobody else seems to understand around you?

Well, it's a fantasy... It doesn't exist.

Why?

Without the genuine, authentic buy-in of the people you need to make your idea work, it won't work. Stakeholders may eventually half-heartedly capitulate to an idea but will fight against it the whole way through and wait for their moment to say "I knew this wouldn't work" when the first opportunity arises...

They will slowly make your project drift into the 80%+ of projects that fail.

Without TRUE alignment of stakeholders, good ideas will remain just that: ideas.

Here's what you're up against:

Most people don't think like you do.

Most people resist change instinctively.

Most digital transformations fail spectacularly.

Here's the thing… You can't change human nature.

BUT, you can work with it instead of against it.

Here are a few things to consider:

Having the best idea means nothing if you can't get others to understand and embrace it. Logic doesn't convince people… Stories, emotions, and perceived personal benefits do.

As a leader, you need to be as much a seller as anyone in your sales department… For starters, I love the 7 principles of influence by Robert Cialdini:

These aren't manipulation tactics… They're how humans actually make decisions. Ignore them at your peril!

Instead of pushing for the complete transformation you envision, find the smallest possible pilot that demonstrates value. Let success build momentum by itself. Build a dynamic where your stakeholders only get a taste and are clamoring for more.

The quality of your life (and your change initiatives) is highly correlated to the number of difficult conversations you're willing to have without freaking out while having them.

Every single time, meaningful digital transformation projects are riddled with politics, big decisions that don’t please everyone and the associated complex webs of feelings…

When issues occur, it’s important to quickly identify and address them.

A great way to start these conversations:

Great objectives for these conversations:

People are usually more interested in feeling heard (connection) than being right. Once you’ve done that, odds are much higher that they move in your direction.

Brick walls are there to test how badly you want something. Every "no" you encounter is data about what needs to be addressed, not proof that your idea is dead.

Walking around the wall, grabbing stakeholders as your go, is usually faster than trying to destroy it… Alone…

The real shortcut isn't the perfect solution you see in your head. It's in your ability to meet people where they are, not where you wish they were.

The most successful procurement professionals I know aren't necessarily the smartest ones. They're the ones who've learned that being right is just the starting point. Getting others to feel right about your idea? That's the real skill.

So next time you find yourself thinking "Why can't they just see it?" remember: they can't see it because they're not you. And that's exactly the problem you need to solve.

In digital transformation, the fastest way to get where you want to go is slowly... With others.

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