Oh, how I love this book! This is all about getting others to “buy-in” to your idea (in other words, it’s about building consensus). The authors offer an opening scenario (twice, actually, describing two different approaches, with two very different outcomes) that will resonate with anyone who has ever worked through the process of presenting a proposal, and then struggling to build consensus – and I am still chuckling over the idea of a “zirconium bullet.” John Kotter (Professor Emeritus at Harvard Business School) is perhaps the name in organizational change; his co-author, Lorne Whitehead, is Leader of Education Innovation at the University of British Columbia (as well as a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy – how I love people who cross disciplines).
After identifying four broad categories of resistance (fear mongering, delay, confusion, and ridicule), we are given clear strategies for dealing with them, as well as no less than twenty-four common methods people use – consciously or unconsciously – to attack new ideas, and appropriate responses for each. If you have training in consensus building or conflict management, much of this will be review; if not, this has the potential to be a goldmine. Either way, this book now lives within easy reach in my office, and I would recommend the same for anyone else in leadership.
Buy-In is available at Amazon.
[amazon asin=1422157296&template=thumbnail]
Relevance (Clergy and Laity):
Clergy: [usr 5.0]
Non-clergy staff: [usr 4.0]
Laity in leadership: [usr 4.0]
General laity: [usr 2.5]
