The Importance of Genuine Buy-In for Successful Initiatives (Part 2)

Welcome back! In my previous article, I discussed how I was force-feeding an initiative with my team and how that didn't work out well. Part 2 shares what came from this conversation and how our team course-corrected. Are you ready for this? Here we go!

**(Part 1 for reference - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/importance-genuine-buy-in-successful-initiatives-part-mecca-benitez-ponhf/?trackingId=Wt%2FXx2HURTuVsdkQnoxOfA%3D%3D_)

When I first rolled out a new initiative with my team, I quickly realized it felt forced. There wasn’t a natural desire from each teammate to participate. I felt icky and sick to my stomach when I realized I was micromanaging the situation, expecting them to show up in the program the way I wanted them to. Can you imagine your manager messing with you, asking if you’ve done what we asked for?? They didn’t ping you once about it, but twice.? What about your manager messaging you, “How was the task”? When you said you didn’t do it, they would ask, “Why and how can I support you?” every day until it was overbearing.? That was me – Yikes!? I was moving too fast and not evaluating why the initiative wasn’t working and why my leaders weren’t taking charge.? Does this example sound too close to home?? For the majority of us, the answer is probably “yes.”?

Research Insight:?Alice Eagly, a renowned psychologist, has extensively studied women in leadership.?Her research shows that transformational leadership, which includes inspiring and motivating employees rather than forcing compliance, leads to better organizational outcomes1. This aligns with my experience – forcing buy-in doesn’t work!

Thankfully, a Leader in the group approached me with questions about the initiative: “What do you want to get out of this?”, “Why is this important to you?” “What’s the end goal?” and “How does this help us as individuals and as a team to reach our goals?” They said they wanted to understand better why this program mattered to me. They could tell it was close to my heart but couldn’t understand why.? That was my first red flag that I didn’t approach this initiative correctly. My team was following me in the dark, which was not a good feeling. I wanted to process this and ensure I had a clearer vision the next time I met with the team.? Thank you to you, teammate, for being my trusted business partner when things were going in another direction!? I took a few days to get my thoughts and data together. We met again to dive deeper into how I could improve and how the next team meeting could be approached.

Research Insight:?Studies show that employees feel more seen, heard, and valued when their managers share clear objectives and goals (2). This transparency fosters trust and engagement, which are crucial for successful initiatives.

In our next team meeting, I admitted my mistake, and it was no surprise that every teammate confessed that they wanted to support the initiative but didn’t know how to.? They lacked confidence about how to show up for me as their leader because I wasn’t clear about what was expected from this program.? I invited them to share suggestions on improving the initiative and what excites them. The energy shifted – they were smiling and engaged. I felt like I saw a unicorn and a rainbow appear on the screen... there was magic and beauty in the team's sharing.? By the end of the meeting, the team was strategizing on how to do well on this initiative as I took notes.? The plan was in effect, and we will regroup in the next few weeks to see how things are going.? Is it working?? Do we adjust??

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been executing their suggestions. Some weeks are more interactive, while others are short check-ins because everyone knows what needs to be done. We’re adjusting as needed, and I’m okay with it not working out exactly as I imagined. I trust my team’s work ethic and intentions, and I want to create an environment where we align with company expectations and find our way to deliver and execute. We can do both things, but I can't do this alone. The team is the core of our mission, and when they are bought in, we are unstoppable.

We’re only one month into the quarter, and our team is performing at 50% of our Q4 goal. I couldn’t be prouder. I’m the team’s cheerleader, and I believe that we all win when one of us wins. When we all win, we’re happy, have a purpose, and bring our personal best.

Quote:?As Rosa Parks once said, "Each person must live their life as a model for others" (3). This quote resonates with our journey – by leading with transparency and trust, we set a model for others to follow.