The Easier Way to Get Team Member Buy-in

One of the most common questions I get asked is “How do I get my employee (team member) to buy-in?  It’s been a huge struggle to get him to do what he is supposed to do!  There has got to be an easier way.” 

CC Stubborn by 2-Dog-Farm

Professionally, I am the owner of a Service Excellence Training.  We train service contractors on Service, Sales, and Leadership principles.  The question of team member buy-in gets answered a lot as we train on new techniques and systems.

I will share with you some of the tips and techniques that I use to help get the buy-in you want.

Show You are Human – Admit a Weakness

It is hard to follow someone who claims he is perfect.  You know that a person that claims perfection is a pompous liar.  The opposite of that person is a humble person that is in the pursuit of excellence.  One of the greatest things you can do to win your people over is to share with them a time that you were very human.  Be open and honest.  This will open the door for communication. 

Attack the Problem not the People

If you want Buy-in on a solution, it is because you are trying to fix a problem.  Your people will help you fix the problem.  Attack the problem without attacking the people who will help you.  They way you do that is by changing your thought process. 

• What Attacking People Sounds Like:  “You have got to start doing your paperwork!  Why is this so hard?  Do you not understand how to do this simple assignment?”
• What Attacking the Problem Sounds Like:  “I need you to help me.  We are missing some of the important customer details that we need to keep good records.  I would like you to give me your thoughts on what we can do to make sure we never let the customer down in our process.”

Empower Your People to Attack the Problem

“It seems that a person’s IQ doubles when you give him responsibilities and trust him to do them.” – Tim Ferris, The 4 Hour Work Week.  This is something I struggle with.  As an creative business starter, I have a habit of wanting to do the work.  That habit doesn’t grow teams, and doesn’t give you any buy-in you want.  I am getting better at letting go.  You and I must trust our team members to do their jobs.

Inspect What Your Expect

Trust doesn’t mean that you turn a blind eye to your team members.  Good leaders and managers measure from a distance.  Course correct before they crash, but give them a chance to bump against a few obstacles. 

Question: What Buy-in Struggle Are You Facing?

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