Innovation: Message Sponsors

You want to convince your organization of the need for change. So, you create a killer speech and deliver it convincingly. The job’s done, right? Wrong.

Even if you deliver a great speech to your entire organization, you still have a lot more work to do. It’s just possible that some people in your organization will oppose your changes. They may react to your message with fear rather than trust. They may believe that the change you propose will create more problems rather than more solutions.

Who sponsors your message?

What to do? Recruit other leaders within your organization to sponsor the message. Recruit your thought leaders and opinion leaders — not just your senior managers. Your opinion leaders will come from all levels of your organization. You may well know who they are already. If you don’t, just ask around — people will tell you whom they trust. To recruit trusted opinion leaders to your side, just sit down with each of them and ask for their help. Explain why the change is necessary and why you need their help. Then explain the key elements of the message that you would like them to sponsor.

If you ask for support early in the change process, you’re likely to get it. On the other hand, if you give your killer speech first and then ask for support, it may be harder to get. Opinions have already formed and positions have started to solidify. Like voting in Chicago, you need to recruit sponsors early and often. Learn more in the video.