How Do You Get Them To Make a Decision? Help a Project Manager Out! (#HAPMO, August 2019)

LinkedIn is a community that allows unparalleled access to each other for learning, inspiration, and help. I am continually inspired by those of us who regularly engage here. I learn on a daily basis, which makes me want to give back even more. And I know many of you feel the same way.

Help a Project Manager Out! (#HAPMO) is a pro bono initiative designed to help everyone who has an interest or passion for delivering projects. It doesn't matter what your title or industry is. It doesn't matter if you are currently leading projects or hope to do so someday. 

There's a community of professionals here who want to help.

Here's How It Works

Twice a month I post an article that looks very similar to this. Typically it is mid-month and start of a new month.

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???????? Include the hashtag #hapmo on your posts that are relevant to people leading and directing projects. Our global following will see your posts in their feed, which can lead to more engagement with your posts. 

???????? Follow the #hapmo hashtag on LinkedIn. Instead of relying on LinkedIn’s algorithm, you can make sure that helpful PM-related posts are included in your feed. Comment on posts to share your insights, which will Help a Project Manager Out!

Are you leading a project and looking for some insights? Leave a comment with your question or situation. Some of the top project thinkers from around the world might just share their thoughts.

Are you a hiring manager or recruiter looking for project related pros? Keep an eye on the comments. The person you're looking for might just be there.

Want to expand your network? Watch for the people who engage here and reach out to them. Connect and start engaging with them. If you and I are not already connected, let's fix that! Connect with me here: Andy Kaufman. And connect with others you see who interact in the comments.

Influencing Them to Make A Decision

Earlier this week I interviewed Oren Klaff about his new book that comes out next week entitled, Flip the Script: Getting People to Think Your Idea Is Their Idea. A challenge for any of us leading teams and projects is the need for decision-makers to, well, make a decision!

In theory, things get escalated, options are weighed, and decisions are made in a timely manner. Then we adjust as necessary.

Unfortunately, the world we lead in isn’t typically that efficient.

We escalate. We assign.

And, too often, we wait.

Maybe it’s with a boss, a sponsor, a change control board, or a governance committee. Or maybe it’s a stakeholder in a different group or a customer. But there are times where we need to influence the other person to make a decision and it just isn't getting made.

One idea from Oren’s book is borrowed from Game of Thrones. It’s the motto of House Stark, one of the Great Houses of Westeros: “Winter is coming”. If, like me, you’ve never watched an episode of the show, you may find this compilation of the phrase amusing:

The idea is not that we go around reminding people that winter is coming! Rather, it’s a way for us to remind people there are consequences of not deciding. The threat of loss is powerful. There’s a reason why Fear of Missing Out is a thing.

Robert Cialdini told me in episode 157 that when people are not clear what to do, they often freeze. In their paralysis, one of the best ways to get them to move is what he calls scarcity. Make it clear to them what they could lose.

• “If this isn’t signed off by end of day Friday, the project slips by a week.”
• “If we don’t have the green light by Monday, the price goes up.”
• “If we go ahead and ship this without finishing the planned tests, we risk repeating the same problems that we had 2 years ago when we almost lost the xxxx account.”

Interestingly, we’re often taught to tell people the benefits, which can be helpful! Do that! Help them see why making a decision is good.

But if that doesn't work, Robert Cialdini and Oren Klaff might suggest you take a page out of a Game of Thrones script. Remind them that “Winter is coming.”

(Watch for the episode with Oren next week)

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How do you influence someone to make a decision? What’s an example of when a decision needed to be made but required some influence to make it happen? What are some lessons about influencing that you’d share with someone who is newer at leading teams and projects? Leave a comment to share your insights with us all.

???????? Come on, folks. Let's Help a Project Manager Out! ???????? Post your lessons about influence in the comments below.

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