Driving consensus on the value to be achieved will save so much waste and debate later on. Take time to uncover the ways that decisions are made and the personnel involved – specifically both formal and informal structures. If people feel that a concern hasn’t been heard then they are likely to dig in deeper. Instead of ignoring them, bring them in closer and understand their issue – perhaps they have a perspective that you don’t see that, if addressed, improves the program’s likelihood of success.

Storytime…

In Frankfurt, Germany, I led a project for a large payments processor focused on consolidating multiple payment platforms into a unified system. These platforms had been acquired over time, each with its own dedicated teams. My role was to build the value case, program plan, and investment requests to meet the project’s objectives.

One of the challenges came from the CIO organization responsible for one of the legacy applications. Based on previous interactions, I anticipated resistance. My analyst and I met with their IT finance lead, and, as expected, they strongly objected to being included in the convergence plan, presenting data to support their stance.

Instead of pushing back, I took a different approach. I spent the time listening carefully, asking questions, and ensuring I fully understood their objections. My aim was to diffuse the tension and build rapport. We documented their concerns and replayed them during the meeting to show we were paying attention.

When it was my turn to speak, I framed the conversation around the overall program and business goals, explaining how the future state would benefit the company. I acknowledged the significant effort and impact the convergence would have, not only on the systems but on the people supporting them.

By going second, I was able to directly address their concerns. Some issues we resolved in the meeting; others required adjustments to the program plan, while a few larger decisions had to be escalated to the executive level.

The lesson here is that had I gone first or taken a more forceful approach, I wouldn’t have uncovered important details critical to the program’s success. More importantly, I wouldn’t have turned a resistant stakeholder into an ally. I took it a step further by coaching their IT finance lead to present the final plan to their leadership. This not only improved how the message was received but also elevated their position within the company, helping them secure a leadership role in the new organization.

Although it took extra effort to build this relationship and prepare them for the presentation, the outcome was a more compelling value case for the client and a stronger partnership moving forward.