Hello again.
In the last email, I wrote, “People rarely like to be seen as taking a risk in business.” I am not a man partial to understatement, but in this particular case, I think I might have just done that.
The chances are you have experienced this firsthand with pushback from compliance or legal. Or perhaps you have encountered stakeholders so afraid to see a fall in their key performance indicators that they are terrified of changing anything. Then, some stakeholders are convinced their boss or colleagues will hate anything you suggest. And let us not forget the inevitable security concerns of anything we suggest.
Many organizations have a toxic culture of fear, where people believe they will be punished for even the slightest failure.
So, how do we deal with this kind of culture and a refusal to do anything that might be considered a risk?
You can start by repositioning your approach as the safe choice.
Frame your approach as the safe choice.
When I worked at IBM early in my career, it was considered such an industry leader that a common phrase went around – “nobody gets fired from buying IBM.” IBM was considered the safe choice because everybody bought IBM.
As humans, we love to follow the crowd. There is safety in numbers. So, if you can demonstrate that others use your approach, it will be considered considerably less risky.
You can highlight one or two big players doing what you do. For example, I regularly reference the award-winning UK Government Digital Service (and yes, I refer to them as award-winning.)
People presume that big names know what they are talking about and have researched their approach. In my experience, this is rarely true, but it is still a bias worth leveraging!
Failing that, show how others in their sector are adopting your approach. Most people are happy to follow the competition blindly.
If all else fails, reference best practices in digital and industry standards, implying that “this is just how things are done” and that your approach “is widely adopted.”
But, don’t stop there; also point out that it can be more risky not to act.
Inaction can be dangerous.
I hate the phrase “slow and steady wins the race.” It is a lie. Driving slow can be as dangerous as driving fast. Organizations can be so hesitant and risk-averse that they end up putting themselves in danger.
This is especially true in digital, where change is constant and moves at incredible speed. A failure to act out of fear of risk can often lead to companies being left behind.
Many organizations focus on maintaining the status quo, but doing the same old things does not work if the landscape changes.
- A failure to meet customer’s expectations is dangerous.
- Falling behind the competition is dangerous.
- Failing to invest in digital channels is dangerous.
- Ignoring accessibility is dangerous.
The list goes on.
You must point out the cost of their inaction or refusal to embrace your suggestions. Make it more risky not to act than to keep the status quo.
You can also use this approach to prevent stakeholders from doing stupid things.
Using a fear of risk to your advantage.
One of my favorite sitcoms was called Yes, Prime Minster. In it, two civil servants are discussing how to change the Prime Minster’s mind. The more senior of the two says that the best way to do so is to suggest that the Prime Minster’s decision is “courageous.” This sounds positive, but the sub-text is that what the Prime Minister is doing is risky.
So, use this approach with stakeholders. Talk about their idea as being “original,” “different from the competition” or “brave.” Then, follow up by checking they are okay with the associated risks.
Checking that stakeholders are okay with the various risks associated with their idea is a gentler way of pointing out the flaws in their dumb idea.
As a last resort, if they dig their heels in and refuse to back down, ask them to confirm via email that they want to proceed and understand the risks you have highlighted. This drives home how concerned you are while also making them acutely aware the blame will fall on them if things go wrong.
Of course, this is also likely to damage the relationship, so only use this if you can see no other way to talk them around.
Risk is a double-edged sword.
I know it can be incredibly frustrating dealing with risk-averse people and companies. Still, hopefully, you can now see how it is possible to work with them. Some of what I have suggested may feel manipulative, but ultimately, all you are doing is pointing out the risks of inaction and the hidden risks of their ideas.
If you want to see actual manipulation, watch this clip of the same two civil servants in Yes Prime Minister discussing other ways to change the Prime Minster’s mind!
Thanks,
