Issue link: https://industrialengineer.epubxp.com/i/826827
June 2017 | ISE Magazine 33 edge. Aha moments are actually a sudden comprehension that solves a problem, reinterprets a situation, explains a joke or resolves an ambiguous precept. Often, aha moments provoke timely decisions and actions. That's what we want. Here's a recap of our key points, with a few "how-tos": • Senior execs, entrepreneurs and ISEs have certain things in common: They transform things. To do this, they: o Build a strong connection to the future, create a shared and aligned vision, make it real for the stakeholders, cause them to pull for it. o Help your team to sell up the line by providing them with the right messaging that helps them sell to their key stakeholders. o Pay close attention to their portfolio strategy, understand the context of their work and demonstrate alignment. • Transforming things requires the ability to communicate, to connect, to inspire, sell, persuade and influence. o Be perceived as building bridges with lines of business and across value streams and business processes. • Being good at persuasion requires a solid brand, a high be- lievability index and style flexibility. o Build believability by learning how to manage trust and increase credibility. o Expand your believability by leveraging trusted advisors and team members; create a believability team. o Build awareness and trust among your user community. o Message to the key stakeholders' lifestyle, hit their hot buttons, know them, understand them and address them. • All of us can, with intent, patience and persistence become much more effective as change agents, successful at the art and science of persuasion. o Learn how to tell life stories, especially the story of what will happen when we create the new solution. o Learn how to market the outcomes, not the features and functions. o Feedback is the breakfast of champions. You can't im- prove brand and believability without harnessing the power of feedback. Others see and experience a lot about you and form perceptions that you may not be aware of. So seek them out, learn and act on them. Bob Gold, the fou der of the New Jersey-based Gold Group, is o e of the world's leadi g behavioral tech ologists with more tha 0 years of applied research a d developme t i he behavioral a d cog itive scie ce of huma gageme t, focused o otivatio d persuasio . D. Scott Si k is a professio al e gi eer a d Lea Sigma certificatio program director i I tegrated Systems E gi eeri g at the College of E gi eeri g at the Ohio State U iversity. FIGURE 5 Analyzing your team Typical project improvement team members have various roles and responses. Tailoring your persuasion tactics to meet stakeholder- specific concerns can help make your project a success.