Shaping public opinion

How well you shape public opinion and word of mouth will ultimately determine whether you will gain commitment to any change. This is particularly the case in knowledge and innovation. People need to personally understand why and how better knowledge adds value.

Here, relying solely on logic and economic argument is not enough. People need to experience a meaningful exchange, which stimulates higher levels of trust and makes them feel vitally important. A common area where this mistake occurs is between a manager and his or her staff. Unless the manager coaches with a genuine desire to build talent for mutual benefit the relationship will soon lose impetus. All the words in the world will not make a scrap of difference if his or her heart is not there. Relying on correction, control and micro-management is a certain recipe for turning off the flow or sharing of knowledge in any manager “ staff relationship. So be ready for change yourself if you are going to have impact in shaping public opinion in any business.

A much better way is to earn people s respect and commitment. Managers need to recognize that this is not something you can impose or conscript; you need people to volunteer both their time and interest. If a business is only out to benefit its own cause, people will quickly see through this and resist. Unless you lead from the heart and seek to address areas of mutual need you will struggle to progress in stimulating improved knowledge, innovation and performance. This lesson of leadership is relevant to any form of human interaction, but is especially true in business.

So avoid waging a war against an entrenched culture and bruised egos. You need to build a partnership where the business conditions make it easier for people to contribute, be listened to and valued. In the world of dealing with human emotion, reputation, promises and loyalty mean nothing if you are not backing this up with a genuine desire to be helpful, fair and transparent.

As a CEO you certainly need to keep an eye on the budget and ensure smart allocation of resources, but you must also be prepared to champion the cause of circulation and application of talent whenever possible. Growing competitive advantage is about helping people to find out what needs to be developed, learnt and tossed out, and make it easier for them to get on with the job in a smarter way.

The fact is if working together comes down to who is right and wrong you will only sow the seeds for discontent, token compliance and hostility . Gaining commitment and shaping public opinion takes time. It is not a single one-stop solution. Be prepared for a pursuit that will require a diversity of tactics and ideas. Whether you are aiming to gain big leaps in support, or you are following a more cautious approach, be prepared for a journey full of surprises , intrigue and great learning.

To help shape public opinion ensure you:

• sell a clear compelling case for change

• involve people in meaningful dialogue

• make sure mistakes are learnt from rather than jumping to punishment

• ensure people feel appreciated and know how to contribute

• reward and market prime examples of good knowledge work

• have a development focus that supports and encourages learning

• constantly review and celebrate your progress.

In addition, develop the skill of personalizing word-of-mouth and marketing campaigns to different audiences. For example, for the more innovative people in your business you may need to highlight how this proposed change is fresh, ground-breaking and will help them stay ahead of the pack. Others will require clear proof that an idea has merit before they are prepared to commit themselves . They also may want to know that the idea is practical, achievable and user friendly before they will give you their time and effort. Finally, you may need to convince others of the potential loss if they fail to grab the opportunity. Having clear demonstrations of tried and true methods certainly helps, particularly if they are backed up with proof that others are already benefiting .

Such a range of possible messages highlights how important it is to sell the benefits in a careful way. This means positioning your message in less abstract, risky or complex terms. Sometimes the obvious is much better than the appealing. Here creditable testimonials and stories on what is now working, or what has worked in the past, can often help sway the public opinion in a positive direction.

Most important of all, support people to explore their options and consider alternatives in safety without fear of retribution. In doing so you will increase the chances of surfacing the hidden fears or tensions that may be consuming them. From there you are much better placed to move forward together.

We also must be sensitive to the fact that people are often more emotionally connected and loyal to their work groups or teams than to the business. For many, the concept of what makes up the identity and boundaries of your business is a very abstract or hard to connect to concept. People are more likely to be loyal to their work team or department particularly in medium to large businesses. The result being that loyalty is more likely to be a group concept, rather than one in which people feel obligated to a total business or workplace. If you expect loyalty you will need to convince people that not only are they going to benefit as individuals but also the team in which they work will also see a reward.

To help explore resistance to change, here are a series of questions you may wish to consider, when holding your next conversations:

• What is your understanding of what is happening at this time?

• What is your past experience of such initiatives?

• How hopeful are you that this change will be a success?

• Why do you believe this change is seen as important?

• What do you fear if you try this change?

• What are the advantages or disadvantages of this change?

• What do you think I need to understand about your views on this matter?

• How can we work better together on this?