Leaders are responsible for clarifying and casting vision for the future. That vision will meet a need, solve a problem, or add beauty to the world. Leaders are also responsible for making big decisions that have far reaching ramifications for the organization. In both situations, leaders have to create buy-in, and buy-in usually increases when we do our research.
Frankly, research sounds boring, tedious, and laborious. But without the proper research, people can stop big visions and bold decisions in their tracks. So, before you cast your next vision or make your next big decision, consider four types of research that can significantly increase your likelihood of buy-in with your team, customers, or congregation.
1. Research Current Reality
For people to buy-in to a new vision or an important decision, they first want to know that you understand the current state of affairs. In other words, are you aware of your organization’s greatest strengths, biggest needs, and looming challenges? Do you know what’s happening in your community or market, and are you aware of the characteristics that define your target audience?
Understanding your current reality creates buy-in because people will recognize that you’ve done your homework. Nobody wants a clueless leader to drive the bus. Nobody wants a leader who shoots from the hip, hoping for the best outcome. Instead, you have to do adequate research on “the way things are” so that you’re operating from a position that’s defined by facts, not feelings.
2. Research Creative Possibility
Ideas are endless. The sky is the limit on possibilities, solutions, and innovations. And bold visions and big decisions usually introduce new ideas or solutions. But possibility can also be a giant vortex that sucks you dry of precious time, energy, and resources.
That’s why leaders need to field-test creative possibilities by asking three questions: First, how will this solution address the needs of our current reality? If you can prove that your solution solves a real-life problem, there’s a much greater likelihood for buy-in to increase.
Second, how will this solution leverage an important opportunity? Most opportunities are tied to a clock…unless you act by a certain time, the opportunity may pass you by. If you can show how a solution leverages an opportunity for the benefit of the organization or the people it serves, again, buy-in will likely increase.
Third, what does this solution make possible that other options don’t? Answering this question is what sets your solution apart and gives it a competitive advantage. Answering it will increase buy-in because it shows your team the uniqueness, and even the genius, of the solution.
Each of these questions will help you focus on creative possibilities that meet real needs, leverage time-sensitive opportunities, and offer advantages that set you apart from the rest of the pack.
3. Research Financial Viability
Ideas, solutions, and visions cost money…often, lots of money. For that reason, you have to research the financial viability of the vision you want to pursue or the decision you plan to make. When you consider financial viability, ask yourself three questions.
First, is this a one-time expense or an ongoing financial commitment? It’s almost always easier to swallow a one-time expense than it is to make a long-term commitment. Second, will this expense generate a revenue stream? If the solution requires money on the front end but has the real possibility of delivering greater revenue on the backend, it may be well worth the upfront investment. Third, if you don’t have the money, how can you get the money? Sometimes we throw good solutions and quality ideas out the window because we let, “I don’t have the money” trump a more important question: “How can I get the money?”
For some people, money is their biggest hurdle to buying-in to a solution. But when you research financial viability, resistance often decreases because you’ve proactively answered the question everyone is asking: how are you going to pay for this? You’d rather set the tone for the financial discussion than have the tone set for you. That can only happen if you research and then communicate financial viability before people start asking questions.
4. Research Growth Probability
As noted earlier, every vision should be an answer to a need or a problem. Therefore, it’s important to do the research on the potential impact that will result from pursuing your vision or implementing your decision. Simply put, how will tomorrow be better than today if you take your proposed action? What is the growth probability? What potential lies in the solution you have offered? When you can point to research that shows the real probability of a better tomorrow, people are more likely to buy-in.
All four of these research types are important. When we don’t research current reality, our entire decision-making process is based on false assumptions. When we don’t research creative possibility, we often settle for yesterday’s outdated solutions. When we don’t research financial viability, we jeopardize the financial health (or financial potential) of the organization. And when we don’t research growth probability, we fail to see the long-term gain we can experience from the right solution. Together, these research methods can deliver the highest levels of buy-in.
