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Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down
You've got a good idea. You know it could make a crucial difference for you, your organization, your community. You present it to the group, but get confounding questions, inane comments, and verbal bullets in return. Before you know what's happened, your idea is dead, shot down. You're furious. Everyone has lost: Those who would have benefited from your proposal. You. Your company. Perhaps even the country.
It doesn't have to be this way, maintain John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead. In Buy-In, they reveal how to win the support your idea needs to deliver valuable results. The key? Understand the generic attack strategies that naysayers and obfuscators deploy time and time again. Then engage these adversaries with tactics tailored to each strategy. By "inviting in the lions" to critique your idea--and being prepared for them--you'll capture busy people's attention, help them grasp your proposal's value, and secure their commitment to implementing the solution.
The book presents a fresh and amusing fictional narrative showing attack strategies in action. It then provides several specific counterstrategies for each basic category the authors have defined--including:
· Death-by-delay: Your enemies push discussion of your idea so far into the future it's forgotten.
· Confusion: They present so much data that confidence in your proposal dies.
· Fearmongering: Critics catalyze irrational anxieties about your idea.
· Character assassination: They slam your reputation and credibility.
Smart, practical, and filled with useful advice, Buy-In equips you to anticipate and combat attacks--so your good idea makes it through to make a positive change.
It doesn't have to be this way, maintain John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead. In Buy-In, they reveal how to win the support your idea needs to deliver valuable results. The key? Understand the generic attack strategies that naysayers and obfuscators deploy time and time again. Then engage these adversaries with tactics tailored to each strategy. By "inviting in the lions" to critique your idea--and being prepared for them--you'll capture busy people's attention, help them grasp your proposal's value, and secure their commitment to implementing the solution.
The book presents a fresh and amusing fictional narrative showing attack strategies in action. It then provides several specific counterstrategies for each basic category the authors have defined--including:
· Death-by-delay: Your enemies push discussion of your idea so far into the future it's forgotten.
· Confusion: They present so much data that confidence in your proposal dies.
· Fearmongering: Critics catalyze irrational anxieties about your idea.
· Character assassination: They slam your reputation and credibility.
Smart, practical, and filled with useful advice, Buy-In equips you to anticipate and combat attacks--so your good idea makes it through to make a positive change.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 17, 2010
85 people are currently reading
1242 people want to read
About the author
John P. Kotter
130 books501 followersJohn P. Kotter, world-renowned expert on leadership, is the author of many books, including Leading Change, Our Iceberg is Melting, The Heart of Change, and his latest book, That's Not How We Do It Here!. He is the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus at the Harvard Business School, and a graduate of MIT and Harvard. He is co-founder of Kotter International, a change management and strategy execution firm that helps organizations engage employees in a movement to drive change and reach sustainable results. He and his wife Nancy live in Boston, Massachusetts.
http://www.kotterinternational.com/ab...
http://www.kotterinternational.com/ab...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
January 13, 2015
Take-Aways
Every good idea or new approach is vulnerable to undeserved, unexpected attacks.
Those using them often play somewhat predictable roles, such as “Pompus Meani,”
“Allis Welli” and “Bendi Windi.”
You must respond effectively in order to gain the widespread support required for
your idea to succeed.
There are “four ways to kill a good idea: confusion, delay, ridicule and fear
mongering.” The most powerful attacks may combine two or three of these
strategies.
You can counter all four strategies, or any combination of them, with a single
method:
Gain people’s attention and appeal to “their minds and hearts” by responding simply,
respectfully and effectively.
Counterintuitive as it might sound, you want people to attack your idea. Involving
detractors and skeptics in your discussion helps more people notice your cause.
Focus on winning over the majority of your listeners, not your attacker.
Answer questions in a calm, clear, logical way, even when attackers become
emotional.
Research and prepare for all likely forms of attack. To earn your audience’s
sympathy, respond to your critics with respect.
Every good idea or new approach is vulnerable to undeserved, unexpected attacks.
Those using them often play somewhat predictable roles, such as “Pompus Meani,”
“Allis Welli” and “Bendi Windi.”
You must respond effectively in order to gain the widespread support required for
your idea to succeed.
There are “four ways to kill a good idea: confusion, delay, ridicule and fear
mongering.” The most powerful attacks may combine two or three of these
strategies.
You can counter all four strategies, or any combination of them, with a single
method:
Gain people’s attention and appeal to “their minds and hearts” by responding simply,
respectfully and effectively.
Counterintuitive as it might sound, you want people to attack your idea. Involving
detractors and skeptics in your discussion helps more people notice your cause.
Focus on winning over the majority of your listeners, not your attacker.
Answer questions in a calm, clear, logical way, even when attackers become
emotional.
Research and prepare for all likely forms of attack. To earn your audience’s
sympathy, respond to your critics with respect.
November 30, 2010
This did not need to be a whole book. The simplification of the types of obstacles new ideas encounter is helpful for quick reference, and some of the stories are good examples, but it seemed too full of fluff for its less-than-200-page length.
April 22, 2021
A very practical book on defending your ideas
Read
February 15, 2021Langdradige shart
February 17, 2016
The book is titled Buy-In with subtitle of "saving your good idea from getting shot down", and immediately this illustrates the main problem with the book - those are not the same thing at all.
The book presents a scenario (complete with cringe-inducing character stereotypes) and then shows various ways that a presentation of an idea could be attacked or derailed, and how to defend against them. Which is all well and good, and if you've ever listened to a skilled politican deflect and avoid ad hoc questioning, you'll appreciate the insight from this book which gives some of the techniques used to disarm and redirect those negative questions.
Unfortunately, deflecting and defeating attacks on your idea is not at all the same as getting buy-in for it, and the first 180 of 190 pages are devoted to the defensive tactics and only in the Appendix, which forms the last 10 pages do the authors get around to talking about the tactics for achieving buy-in.
So, good at what it does, and worth reading for that, even if the style is pretty juvenile, but it doesn't really live up to the title
The book presents a scenario (complete with cringe-inducing character stereotypes) and then shows various ways that a presentation of an idea could be attacked or derailed, and how to defend against them. Which is all well and good, and if you've ever listened to a skilled politican deflect and avoid ad hoc questioning, you'll appreciate the insight from this book which gives some of the techniques used to disarm and redirect those negative questions.
Unfortunately, deflecting and defeating attacks on your idea is not at all the same as getting buy-in for it, and the first 180 of 190 pages are devoted to the defensive tactics and only in the Appendix, which forms the last 10 pages do the authors get around to talking about the tactics for achieving buy-in.
So, good at what it does, and worth reading for that, even if the style is pretty juvenile, but it doesn't really live up to the title
October 22, 2010
Good stuff. I really enjoyed this quick, straightforward read.
http://blog.jackvinson.com/archives/2...
Also reference Kotter's website for the book http://www.kotterinternational.com/bu...
http://blog.jackvinson.com/archives/2...
Also reference Kotter's website for the book http://www.kotterinternational.com/bu...
January 15, 2013
يتحدث الكتاب عن طرق حماية فكرتك والدفاع عنها في ظل الهجمات الشرسة التي قد تتعرض لها أثناء عرضها.
يتحدث في الكتاب عن أهم أربعة طرق لمهاجمة فكرتك وماهي آلية الرد عليها
ثم يتحدث عن ٢٤ طريقة مختلفة للإيقاع بفكرتك ويتحدث عن كيفية الاستعداد لها لابطالها
كتاب رائع وأنصح بقراءته
يتحدث في الكتاب عن أهم أربعة طرق لمهاجمة فكرتك وماهي آلية الرد عليها
ثم يتحدث عن ٢٤ طريقة مختلفة للإيقاع بفكرتك ويتحدث عن كيفية الاستعداد لها لابطالها
كتاب رائع وأنصح بقراءته
May 8, 2011
It was my first Business book in English . . . and even though the book has written by 2 authors,it was very coherent . an exceptionally realistic and helpful .
November 3, 2016
24 Attacks and 24 Responses
Here is a list and discussion of the 24 attacks that have been used quite commonly. As you will see, they all draw on one or more strategies based on confusion, fear mongering, death-by-delay, or ridicule and character assassination. There are many more slight variations on these 24, but these two dozen seem to be the most basic and confounding. There is also a response to each of the attacks which will not silence valid criticism, but will help stop verbal bullets from killing good ideas.
#1 "We've been successful, why change?!"
Attack:
We've never done this in the past and things have always worked out OK.
Response:
True. But surely we have all seen that those who fail to adapt eventually become extinct.
#2 "The only problem is not enough money."
Attack:
Money is the issue, not _____ (computers, product safety, choice of choir songs, etc).<
Response:
Extra money is rarely what builds truly great ventures or organizations.
#3 "You exaggeratea the problem."
Attack:
You are exaggerating. This is a small issue for us if it is an issue at all.
Response:
To the good people who suffer because of this problem, it certainly doesn't look small.
#4 "You're saying we've failed??!!"
Attack:
If this is a problem, then what you are telling us is that we have been doing a lousy job. That's insulting!
Response:
No, we're suggesting that you are doing a remarkably good job without the needed tools (systems, methods, laws, etc) which, in our proposal, you will have.
#5 "What's the hidden agenda?"
Attack:
It's clear you have a hidden agenda and we would prefer that you take it elsewhere.
Response:
Not fair! Just look at the track record of the good folks behind this proposal! (And why would you even suggest such a thing?)
#6 "What about this, and that, and that (etc.)?"
Attack:
Your proposal leaves too many questions unanswered. What about this and that, and this and that, and...
Response:
All good ideas, if they are new, raise dozens of questions that cannot be answered with certainty.
#7 "No good! It doesn't go far enough" (or, "It goes too far")
Attack:
Your proposal doesn't go nearly far enough.
Response:
Maybe, but our idea will get us started moving in the right direction, and do so without further delay.
#8 "You have a chicken and egg problem."
Attack:
You can't do A without doing B, yet you can't do B without doing A. So the plan won't work.
Response:
Well actually, you can do a little bit of A which allows a little bit of B which allows more A which allows more of B, and so on.
#9 "Sounds like 'killing puppies' to me!"
Attack:
Your plan reminds me of a thing disgusting and terrible (insert totalitarianism, organized crime, insanity, or dry rot...)
Response:
Look, you know it isn't like that. A realistic comparison might be...
#10 "You're abandoning our values."
Attack:
You are abandoning our traditional values.
Response:
This plan is essential to uphold our traditional values.
#11 "It's too simplistic to work."
Attack:
Surely you don't think a few simple tricks will solve everything?
Response:
No – it's the combination of your good work and some new things that, together, can make a great advance.
#12 "No one else does this!"
Attack:
If this is such a great idea, why hasn't it been done already?
Response:
There really is a first time for everything and we do have a unique opportunity.
#13 "You can't have it both ways!"
Attack:
Your plan says X and Y, but they are incompatible. You can't have both!
Response:
Actually, we didn't say X or Y—although, I grant you, it may have sounded that way. We said A and B, which are not incompatible.
#14 "Aha! You can't deny this!"
Attack:
I'm sorry – you mean well, but look at this problem you've clearly missed! You can't deny the significance of this issue!
Response:
No one can deny the significance of the issue you have raised, and, yes, we haven't explored it. But every potential problem we have found so far has been readily solved. So in light of what has happened again and again and again, I am today confident that this new issue can also be handled, just like all the rest.
#15 "To generate all these questions and concerns, the idea has to be flawed."
Attack:
Look at how many different concerns there are! This can't be good!
Response:
Actually, many the questions mean we are engaged, and an engaged group both makes better decisions and implements them more successfully.
#16 "Tried it before – didn't work."
Attack:
We tried that before and it didn't work.
Response:
That was then. Conditions inevitably change [and what we propose probably isn't exactly what was tried before]
#17 "It's too difficult to understand."
Attack:
Too many of our people will never understand the idea and, inevitably, will not help us make it happen.
Response:
Not a problem. We will make the required effort to convince them. It's worth the effort to do so.
#18 "This is not the right time."
Attack:
Good idea, but it's the wrong time. We need to wait until this other thing is finished (or this other thing is started, or the situation changes in a certain special way).
Response:
The best time is almost always when you have people excited and committed to make something happen. And that's now.
#19 "It's too much work."
Attack:
This seems too hard! I'm not sure we are up for it.
Response:
Hard can be good. A genuinely good new idea, facing time consuming obstacles, can both raise our energy level and motivate us to eliminate wasted time.
#20 "Won't work here, we're different!"
Attack:
It won't work here because we are so different.
Response:
Yes it's true, we're different, but we are also very much the same.
#21 "It puts us on a slippery slope."
Attack:
You're on a slippery slope leading to a cliff. This small move today will lead to disaster tomorrow.
Response:
Good groups of people—all the time-- use common sense as a guard rail to keep them from sliding into disaster.
#22 "We can't afford this."
Attack:
The plan may be fine but we cannot do it without new sources of money.
Response:
Actually, most important changes are achieved without new sources of money.
#23 "You'll never convince enough people."
Attack:
It will be impossible to get unanimous agreement with this plan.
Response:
You are absolutely right. That's almost never possible, and that's OK.
#24 "We're not equipped to do this."
Attack:
We don't really have the skills or credentials to pull this off!
Response:
We have much of what we need and we can and will get the rest.
http://www.kotterinternational.com/ou...
Here is a list and discussion of the 24 attacks that have been used quite commonly. As you will see, they all draw on one or more strategies based on confusion, fear mongering, death-by-delay, or ridicule and character assassination. There are many more slight variations on these 24, but these two dozen seem to be the most basic and confounding. There is also a response to each of the attacks which will not silence valid criticism, but will help stop verbal bullets from killing good ideas.
#1 "We've been successful, why change?!"
Attack:
We've never done this in the past and things have always worked out OK.
Response:
True. But surely we have all seen that those who fail to adapt eventually become extinct.
#2 "The only problem is not enough money."
Attack:
Money is the issue, not _____ (computers, product safety, choice of choir songs, etc).<
Response:
Extra money is rarely what builds truly great ventures or organizations.
#3 "You exaggeratea the problem."
Attack:
You are exaggerating. This is a small issue for us if it is an issue at all.
Response:
To the good people who suffer because of this problem, it certainly doesn't look small.
#4 "You're saying we've failed??!!"
Attack:
If this is a problem, then what you are telling us is that we have been doing a lousy job. That's insulting!
Response:
No, we're suggesting that you are doing a remarkably good job without the needed tools (systems, methods, laws, etc) which, in our proposal, you will have.
#5 "What's the hidden agenda?"
Attack:
It's clear you have a hidden agenda and we would prefer that you take it elsewhere.
Response:
Not fair! Just look at the track record of the good folks behind this proposal! (And why would you even suggest such a thing?)
#6 "What about this, and that, and that (etc.)?"
Attack:
Your proposal leaves too many questions unanswered. What about this and that, and this and that, and...
Response:
All good ideas, if they are new, raise dozens of questions that cannot be answered with certainty.
#7 "No good! It doesn't go far enough" (or, "It goes too far")
Attack:
Your proposal doesn't go nearly far enough.
Response:
Maybe, but our idea will get us started moving in the right direction, and do so without further delay.
#8 "You have a chicken and egg problem."
Attack:
You can't do A without doing B, yet you can't do B without doing A. So the plan won't work.
Response:
Well actually, you can do a little bit of A which allows a little bit of B which allows more A which allows more of B, and so on.
#9 "Sounds like 'killing puppies' to me!"
Attack:
Your plan reminds me of a thing disgusting and terrible (insert totalitarianism, organized crime, insanity, or dry rot...)
Response:
Look, you know it isn't like that. A realistic comparison might be...
#10 "You're abandoning our values."
Attack:
You are abandoning our traditional values.
Response:
This plan is essential to uphold our traditional values.
#11 "It's too simplistic to work."
Attack:
Surely you don't think a few simple tricks will solve everything?
Response:
No – it's the combination of your good work and some new things that, together, can make a great advance.
#12 "No one else does this!"
Attack:
If this is such a great idea, why hasn't it been done already?
Response:
There really is a first time for everything and we do have a unique opportunity.
#13 "You can't have it both ways!"
Attack:
Your plan says X and Y, but they are incompatible. You can't have both!
Response:
Actually, we didn't say X or Y—although, I grant you, it may have sounded that way. We said A and B, which are not incompatible.
#14 "Aha! You can't deny this!"
Attack:
I'm sorry – you mean well, but look at this problem you've clearly missed! You can't deny the significance of this issue!
Response:
No one can deny the significance of the issue you have raised, and, yes, we haven't explored it. But every potential problem we have found so far has been readily solved. So in light of what has happened again and again and again, I am today confident that this new issue can also be handled, just like all the rest.
#15 "To generate all these questions and concerns, the idea has to be flawed."
Attack:
Look at how many different concerns there are! This can't be good!
Response:
Actually, many the questions mean we are engaged, and an engaged group both makes better decisions and implements them more successfully.
#16 "Tried it before – didn't work."
Attack:
We tried that before and it didn't work.
Response:
That was then. Conditions inevitably change [and what we propose probably isn't exactly what was tried before]
#17 "It's too difficult to understand."
Attack:
Too many of our people will never understand the idea and, inevitably, will not help us make it happen.
Response:
Not a problem. We will make the required effort to convince them. It's worth the effort to do so.
#18 "This is not the right time."
Attack:
Good idea, but it's the wrong time. We need to wait until this other thing is finished (or this other thing is started, or the situation changes in a certain special way).
Response:
The best time is almost always when you have people excited and committed to make something happen. And that's now.
#19 "It's too much work."
Attack:
This seems too hard! I'm not sure we are up for it.
Response:
Hard can be good. A genuinely good new idea, facing time consuming obstacles, can both raise our energy level and motivate us to eliminate wasted time.
#20 "Won't work here, we're different!"
Attack:
It won't work here because we are so different.
Response:
Yes it's true, we're different, but we are also very much the same.
#21 "It puts us on a slippery slope."
Attack:
You're on a slippery slope leading to a cliff. This small move today will lead to disaster tomorrow.
Response:
Good groups of people—all the time-- use common sense as a guard rail to keep them from sliding into disaster.
#22 "We can't afford this."
Attack:
The plan may be fine but we cannot do it without new sources of money.
Response:
Actually, most important changes are achieved without new sources of money.
#23 "You'll never convince enough people."
Attack:
It will be impossible to get unanimous agreement with this plan.
Response:
You are absolutely right. That's almost never possible, and that's OK.
#24 "We're not equipped to do this."
Attack:
We don't really have the skills or credentials to pull this off!
Response:
We have much of what we need and we can and will get the rest.
http://www.kotterinternational.com/ou...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2023
Même si le livre date de 2010, il contient des informations toujours aussi pertinentes. Kotter, qui a publié deux livres à propos de la gestion du changement, présente dans cet ouvrage des éléments de rhétorique entourant le changement. Il explique les quatre grandes façons de tuer un projet (les délais, la confusion, les campagnes de peur, l'assassinat du porteur du message), et des façons de combattre ces techniques de sabotage. Puis il poursuit dans la même veine en présentant 24 attaques et la façon d'y répondre.
La première partie du livre consiste en un cas avec une situation fictive et des personnages tout aussi fictif (section que j'ai sauvagement passé), tandis que la seconde section aborde les éléments théoriques à proprement parler. Ce livre va rester dans ma bibliothèque car il s'agit d'une tr��s belle synthèse d'idées entourant la rhétorique et le discours concernant les échanges à l'annonce d'un changement.
La première partie du livre consiste en un cas avec une situation fictive et des personnages tout aussi fictif (section que j'ai sauvagement passé), tandis que la seconde section aborde les éléments théoriques à proprement parler. Ce livre va rester dans ma bibliothèque car il s'agit d'une tr��s belle synthèse d'idées entourant la rhétorique et le discours concernant les échanges à l'annonce d'un changement.
June 28, 2021
Quirky read, but useful. So much more than selling an idea is navigating the various personalities that may prevent those ideas from coming to fruition. It's here, we find a helpful tool with that navigation. John Kotter (of Change Management fame) helps guide readers with useful strategies in understanding how "four way good ideas die" along with "twenty-four attacks and responses." Used best as a quick reference guide, Kotter ingratiates readers with his concise, easy-to-understand instructions. Not my favorite book ever, but to me this book works best as a reference guide to be utilized when dealing with the (hopefully) infrequent circumstances that may require remediation.
December 30, 2017
Kotter’s writing style is so easy to read. Peppered with narrative, informative and prescriptive.
With some large concepts to remember, and then piece by piece prescriptive steps. This is one I will return to regularly as building buy in is definitely one of the skills I need to develop further.
With some large concepts to remember, and then piece by piece prescriptive steps. This is one I will return to regularly as building buy in is definitely one of the skills I need to develop further.
February 27, 2018
I had a hard time getting through the first part of the book--usually a storyline helps me grasp the concept but this one was more than what I needed and I had to slog through it. Once the book began to get into the 24 ways people shoot down good ideas and how to address them, the book became interesting and practical to me.
June 28, 2018
Informative ensemble of ways (24 in this book) how people are going to attack verbally against you when you are giving them a presentation of a theme of your own choice, and how you can turn those "attacks" against you to your own favour.
+Easy to read
+Other worthy small things too you can learn from this book
+Stories that keep you involved and not bored.
+Easy to read
+Other worthy small things too you can learn from this book
+Stories that keep you involved and not bored.
December 31, 2018
I'm not a fan of story book format. Key idea - you can't just run a project with only barely crossing over the half-way mark. If it's an important project and you need to run it well, you need to get as many people on board. You do that by inviting everyone to conversations, listening to everyone and not just the critics - but not silencing your critics. Respectful humble engagement.
February 26, 2019
What do you do when your rock-solid idea seems to have feet of clay? You pitch it to a group of people only for it to be pulled apart? This book tells you what to do without being rude, evasive or duplicitous. Its hard to think of a single aspect of your life that wouldn't benefit from this
July 1, 2017
Well written but may not be that helpful
June 30, 2017
It takes great skill to explain complex situations in such a layman, and organized way.
November 10, 2017
great reading on how to protect good ideas from being shot down.
March 15, 2018
It didn't seem relevant to me in my line of work. It seemed to be more about defending your ideas from baseless attacks. I was hoping to to learn how to communicate better,etc. not respond to attacks
May 17, 2018
Easy to understand, practical info. Highly recommended read on this one.
September 25, 2018
Very useful
Very powerful advice about saving good ideas from being taken down, especially when a lot is at stake, like change efforts in organizations.
Very powerful advice about saving good ideas from being taken down, especially when a lot is at stake, like change efforts in organizations.
February 24, 2019
Really recognizable business book that can help you get your ideas into practice.
January 4, 2022
Fav book of 2021
February 22, 2024
There were about 5 total pages in this book that were worth reading.
November 28, 2010
Good ideas -- even terrific ideas -- often fail to get adopted when an advocate lacks the verbal communication skills to make persuasive presentations. As every public speaker knows, no two presentations are exactly alike -- but for the most part, the reasons a verbal communication fails to persuade are both predictable and preventable.
What's exciting about this book on effective advocacy is the sheer practicality of its prescribed approach t0 develop the power of persuasion. It's approach to advocacy is simple and memorable -- yet often overlooked by public speakers, despite their desire to deliver more persuasive, more effective presentations.
In essence, the book proposes a kind of "aikido" -- a direct (but non-confrontational) approach to persuasion that anticipates verbal communication attacks and deflects an opponent's challenges. Armed with this knowledge, your good idea can have a "fighting chance" -- but without the fighting.
The authors' insightful theory and practical public speaking tips are reason enough to invest your time and treasure in this book. It provides something more, however: an excellent example of targeting individual character types for more persuasive presentations. We call these personality types "public personas." These are the people who are crucial to your success -- whether your current "role" reflects commercial, civic or personal matters. Depending on the issues at hand, these personas may be members of your community, elected officials, corporate directors or any other group with influence over a certain aspect of your affairs. You need their cooperation and you value their goodwill. So think long and hard about who these people really are -- and see what happens when you approach communications strategy with "relational" goals, not just "transactional" aims. In a social media environment, this relationship-oriented communications approach can make a significant difference.)
"Buy-In" uses a story-based format to bring these personas to life, and to demonstrate the threats they pose to persuasive presentations. The book's narrative thread pulls the reader into a persuasion scenario, as each of these "idea-killers" takes center stage and threatens to short-circuit the hero's journey towards a successful performance. This storyline bringing the characters to life highlights a crucial point: An audience's challenges to a public presentation often are not mean-spirited or deeply oppositional. Rather, the personas are simply archetypal characters acting in predictably human ways -- sometimes exhibiting an aversion to risk, other times being critical in an attempt to demonstrate their intelligence, and still other times just not welcoming another change in their lives. The personas need your reassurance, recognition and respect -- even when they're behaving disrespectfully. By steeping ourselves in the "Buy-In" story narrative, we learn how to accommodate these personas' questions (whether well-meaning or destructive) and to respond in ways that move us towards our persuasion goals. We learn to welcome the audience challenges, and to use these attacks to generate emotional engagement that furthers our advocacy goals.
In describing their method for persuasive communication and effective advocacy, the authors list eight steps for achieving effective large-scale change. Although each of these elements is important, it is the fourth of these steps (Communicate For Buy-In) that they consider most important in overcoming obstacles to persuasion.
The single biggest mistake that people make when trying to communicate a new vision of change, and strategies for achieving that vision, is under-communicating by a great deal. What seems like a lot of communication to those driving a change effort can, in fact, be woefully little...
"Respect" is a key word for achieving genuine persuasion and buy-in -- and it goes without saying that this quality is sorely lacking in most public discourse today. One of the most attractive aspects of the authors' approach is that is goes beyond the transactional, "win-at-all-costs" approach that often leaves bad decisions and broken relationships in its wake. Rather, the book counsels the use of persuasive communication skills that preserve relationships. Why is this so important? Both for its own sake, and also because a proposed idea that wins acceptance requires the goodwill and support of former-opponents once you seek to actually implement it.
What's exciting about this book on effective advocacy is the sheer practicality of its prescribed approach t0 develop the power of persuasion. It's approach to advocacy is simple and memorable -- yet often overlooked by public speakers, despite their desire to deliver more persuasive, more effective presentations.
In essence, the book proposes a kind of "aikido" -- a direct (but non-confrontational) approach to persuasion that anticipates verbal communication attacks and deflects an opponent's challenges. Armed with this knowledge, your good idea can have a "fighting chance" -- but without the fighting.
The authors' insightful theory and practical public speaking tips are reason enough to invest your time and treasure in this book. It provides something more, however: an excellent example of targeting individual character types for more persuasive presentations. We call these personality types "public personas." These are the people who are crucial to your success -- whether your current "role" reflects commercial, civic or personal matters. Depending on the issues at hand, these personas may be members of your community, elected officials, corporate directors or any other group with influence over a certain aspect of your affairs. You need their cooperation and you value their goodwill. So think long and hard about who these people really are -- and see what happens when you approach communications strategy with "relational" goals, not just "transactional" aims. In a social media environment, this relationship-oriented communications approach can make a significant difference.)
"Buy-In" uses a story-based format to bring these personas to life, and to demonstrate the threats they pose to persuasive presentations. The book's narrative thread pulls the reader into a persuasion scenario, as each of these "idea-killers" takes center stage and threatens to short-circuit the hero's journey towards a successful performance. This storyline bringing the characters to life highlights a crucial point: An audience's challenges to a public presentation often are not mean-spirited or deeply oppositional. Rather, the personas are simply archetypal characters acting in predictably human ways -- sometimes exhibiting an aversion to risk, other times being critical in an attempt to demonstrate their intelligence, and still other times just not welcoming another change in their lives. The personas need your reassurance, recognition and respect -- even when they're behaving disrespectfully. By steeping ourselves in the "Buy-In" story narrative, we learn how to accommodate these personas' questions (whether well-meaning or destructive) and to respond in ways that move us towards our persuasion goals. We learn to welcome the audience challenges, and to use these attacks to generate emotional engagement that furthers our advocacy goals.
In describing their method for persuasive communication and effective advocacy, the authors list eight steps for achieving effective large-scale change. Although each of these elements is important, it is the fourth of these steps (Communicate For Buy-In) that they consider most important in overcoming obstacles to persuasion.
The single biggest mistake that people make when trying to communicate a new vision of change, and strategies for achieving that vision, is under-communicating by a great deal. What seems like a lot of communication to those driving a change effort can, in fact, be woefully little...
"Respect" is a key word for achieving genuine persuasion and buy-in -- and it goes without saying that this quality is sorely lacking in most public discourse today. One of the most attractive aspects of the authors' approach is that is goes beyond the transactional, "win-at-all-costs" approach that often leaves bad decisions and broken relationships in its wake. Rather, the book counsels the use of persuasive communication skills that preserve relationships. Why is this so important? Both for its own sake, and also because a proposed idea that wins acceptance requires the goodwill and support of former-opponents once you seek to actually implement it.
September 4, 2016
“Buy-in” by John P. Kotter and Lorne A. Whitehead, is a much needed resource. Originally a financial term, getting people’s buy-in is today taken to mean “getting someone’s commitment” to a new idea or proposal. Getting others to commit to a new idea, whether it be family, friends or in business, is an essential skill-set that everyone should have. It’s surprising that this topic has not been covered before.
The authors set out to provide a method for building support for a good idea. As they say, the method is counterintuitive in a number of ways. Firstly, it suggests getting the biggest naysayers into the room, not keeping them out – for me this is the biggest plus of their method. The others, “not using a power base or powerful personality”, “treating people with respect” and not responding to attacks with “logical lists of reasons, reasons, reasons”, are common sense.
Part One of the book describes a situation where you as the reader, are responding to attacks in a public meeting. It’s a nice case study, well written easy to follow and gives good examples of how the method is used. It’s also a good way of introducing us to the four categories the authors use to describe these attacks – confusion, death by delay, fear mongering, ridicule and character assassination. They also suggest that within these four categories, there are at least 24 attacks that people can make.
Part Two explains the method, why it works and how to respond to each of the 24 types of attack.
I found this a difficult book to review. It has some great ideas and concepts, yet at times I found it a little confusing and at least to me, in places contradictory.
The simple five-part method for responding to attacks on your idea, is sound and easy to follow. I would have found it easier to remember the five points if they had been explained in the same words whenever they were described. In fact they are described in a number of different ways. For example in one chapter in Part Two, they are first described in the negative and in the summary to that chapter, in the positive (this is the description that I feel should have been used throughout the book).
Of the five points in their method, the most striking (and most counterintuitive) is getting the naysayers in, not keeping them out. Reading the authors’ examples, this makes a lot of sense. Most of the examples given, show ways of dealing with the naysayers as they present their attack during meetings – very useful when faced with such attacks. An important point, that is merely mentioned in passing, is that it would be ideal to get to the naysayers first before presenting your idea to others – have them shoot some holes in it, so that you overcome their objections first, and in the process, gain them as allies rather than antagonists. I feel this is a point that could have been reinforced more, as it has a major impact on the way one plans for a meeting or situation that is likely to involve conflict.
I could not find any discussion of handling emotional attacks as opposed to attacks purely using logic. This may have been a useful addition to the method.
Where I found some contradictions in the book, are the examples given of how to use the method to handle each of the 24 types of attack. For example, in Attack No. 5 in response to the attack the authors suggest “Surely you are not suggesting that (highly respected) Barry is lying to us about his motives.” The authors go on to say “Served lightly and with no disrespect, an honestly sceptical person will think ‘good point,’ and back away.” If this were said to me I would take it as countermanding their “Win their hearts by, most of all showing respect.”
Similarly in response to Attack No. 9 the authors suggest “Look, you know it isn’t like that” and “Let’s be sensible” (inferring perhaps that the attacker is not).
Despite these criticisms, the book is a useful resource for all of us who have to face attackers who regularly put down our ideas. My suggestion as you read this book, is to write out the five parts of the method in your own words (page 102). Then, keep this handy as you read and decide how you would apply each of these in your own situation. Keep checking to see that your responses are in line with the method (at times they may be quite different to the examples given).
The authors set out to provide a method for building support for a good idea. As they say, the method is counterintuitive in a number of ways. Firstly, it suggests getting the biggest naysayers into the room, not keeping them out – for me this is the biggest plus of their method. The others, “not using a power base or powerful personality”, “treating people with respect” and not responding to attacks with “logical lists of reasons, reasons, reasons”, are common sense.
Part One of the book describes a situation where you as the reader, are responding to attacks in a public meeting. It’s a nice case study, well written easy to follow and gives good examples of how the method is used. It’s also a good way of introducing us to the four categories the authors use to describe these attacks – confusion, death by delay, fear mongering, ridicule and character assassination. They also suggest that within these four categories, there are at least 24 attacks that people can make.
Part Two explains the method, why it works and how to respond to each of the 24 types of attack.
I found this a difficult book to review. It has some great ideas and concepts, yet at times I found it a little confusing and at least to me, in places contradictory.
The simple five-part method for responding to attacks on your idea, is sound and easy to follow. I would have found it easier to remember the five points if they had been explained in the same words whenever they were described. In fact they are described in a number of different ways. For example in one chapter in Part Two, they are first described in the negative and in the summary to that chapter, in the positive (this is the description that I feel should have been used throughout the book).
Of the five points in their method, the most striking (and most counterintuitive) is getting the naysayers in, not keeping them out. Reading the authors’ examples, this makes a lot of sense. Most of the examples given, show ways of dealing with the naysayers as they present their attack during meetings – very useful when faced with such attacks. An important point, that is merely mentioned in passing, is that it would be ideal to get to the naysayers first before presenting your idea to others – have them shoot some holes in it, so that you overcome their objections first, and in the process, gain them as allies rather than antagonists. I feel this is a point that could have been reinforced more, as it has a major impact on the way one plans for a meeting or situation that is likely to involve conflict.
I could not find any discussion of handling emotional attacks as opposed to attacks purely using logic. This may have been a useful addition to the method.
Where I found some contradictions in the book, are the examples given of how to use the method to handle each of the 24 types of attack. For example, in Attack No. 5 in response to the attack the authors suggest “Surely you are not suggesting that (highly respected) Barry is lying to us about his motives.” The authors go on to say “Served lightly and with no disrespect, an honestly sceptical person will think ‘good point,’ and back away.” If this were said to me I would take it as countermanding their “Win their hearts by, most of all showing respect.”
Similarly in response to Attack No. 9 the authors suggest “Look, you know it isn’t like that” and “Let’s be sensible” (inferring perhaps that the attacker is not).
Despite these criticisms, the book is a useful resource for all of us who have to face attackers who regularly put down our ideas. My suggestion as you read this book, is to write out the five parts of the method in your own words (page 102). Then, keep this handy as you read and decide how you would apply each of these in your own situation. Keep checking to see that your responses are in line with the method (at times they may be quite different to the examples given).
February 10, 2011
In the preface to Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down, John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead say:
It would be wonderful if the good ideas you champion, on or off the job, could simply stand on their own. But far too often, this is not the case. Whether it’s a big bill before Congress, an innovative corporate strategy, or tonight’s plan for dinner and the movies, sensible ideas can be ignored, shot down, or, more often, wounded so badly that they produce little gain.
We have all experienced the frustration of watching a great idea crash and burn, because someone used one of the four ways to kill a good idea that Kotter and Whitehead talk about: fear mongering, delay, confusion and ridicule or character assassination. The damage may result from genuine concern, but just as often from malice or political scheming.
They present a single, rather counterintuitive strategy for saving good ideas in five steps:
Gain people’s attention by allowing the attackers in and letting them attack.
Then win the minds of the relevant, attentive audience with simple, clear and commonsense responses.
Win their hearts, by most of all showing respect.
Constantly monitor the people whose hearts and minds you need: the broad audience, not the few attackers.
Prepare for these steps in advance.
There may be more, but they identify twenty-four common attacks, each with its own appropriate response.
They make so much sense that I was filled with sadness that I didn’t know this stuff years ago as I was savaged by rabid corporate pit bulls. Or did a little savaging of my own.
One attack, for example, is, “We’ve always done this in the past, and things have always worked out okay.
One response would be along the lines of, “True. But surely we have all seen that those who fail to adapt eventually become extinct.”
The idea is to be respectful, brief, clear and calling on commonsense, not elaborate argument or logic.
In an appendix entitled The Eight Steps to Successful, Large-scale Change, step four is Communicate for Buy-In. Kotter and Whitehead emphasize that, “People in successful change efforts overcome these problems by communicating more and more often, and the communication is directed at both the head and the heart.” They excite the feelings and don’t just rely on analytically dry business cases.
Whether we put marketing to work in selling an expensive product or service or getting support for a new health care plan, we need to remember to communicate constantly in many media and to tell stories through live events and video as much as possible, because they make all-important emotional connections. And to be ready, in meetings and presentations, with commonsense responses to baseless attacks.
A great book. Everyone should read it!
It would be wonderful if the good ideas you champion, on or off the job, could simply stand on their own. But far too often, this is not the case. Whether it’s a big bill before Congress, an innovative corporate strategy, or tonight’s plan for dinner and the movies, sensible ideas can be ignored, shot down, or, more often, wounded so badly that they produce little gain.
We have all experienced the frustration of watching a great idea crash and burn, because someone used one of the four ways to kill a good idea that Kotter and Whitehead talk about: fear mongering, delay, confusion and ridicule or character assassination. The damage may result from genuine concern, but just as often from malice or political scheming.
They present a single, rather counterintuitive strategy for saving good ideas in five steps:
Gain people’s attention by allowing the attackers in and letting them attack.
Then win the minds of the relevant, attentive audience with simple, clear and commonsense responses.
Win their hearts, by most of all showing respect.
Constantly monitor the people whose hearts and minds you need: the broad audience, not the few attackers.
Prepare for these steps in advance.
There may be more, but they identify twenty-four common attacks, each with its own appropriate response.
They make so much sense that I was filled with sadness that I didn’t know this stuff years ago as I was savaged by rabid corporate pit bulls. Or did a little savaging of my own.
One attack, for example, is, “We’ve always done this in the past, and things have always worked out okay.
One response would be along the lines of, “True. But surely we have all seen that those who fail to adapt eventually become extinct.”
The idea is to be respectful, brief, clear and calling on commonsense, not elaborate argument or logic.
In an appendix entitled The Eight Steps to Successful, Large-scale Change, step four is Communicate for Buy-In. Kotter and Whitehead emphasize that, “People in successful change efforts overcome these problems by communicating more and more often, and the communication is directed at both the head and the heart.” They excite the feelings and don’t just rely on analytically dry business cases.
Whether we put marketing to work in selling an expensive product or service or getting support for a new health care plan, we need to remember to communicate constantly in many media and to tell stories through live events and video as much as possible, because they make all-important emotional connections. And to be ready, in meetings and presentations, with commonsense responses to baseless attacks.
A great book. Everyone should read it!
February 23, 2017
Throw the first half of this book to the garbage; that is, at less that you feel to be a moron. In any case, I stuck through the demeaning start.
The fact is that Fear, Delay, Confusion and Character Assassination are types of attacks that could had been addressed in a single magazine article; not a book.
This was a painful book to read.
The fact is that Fear, Delay, Confusion and Character Assassination are types of attacks that could had been addressed in a single magazine article; not a book.
This was a painful book to read.
May 28, 2015
Although this book repeats a lot of common themes, which could be summarised more succinctly, this is still a very useful book. It explains the key arguments typically used to put down a good idea, and why they succeed, and how to deal with these situations.
This is not a book of retorts, nor a way of influencing people to do what you want through manipulation. It explains simply how to stop your ideas falling at hurdles at all stages of a proposal.
Would particularly recommend for students who are involved with societies - some of the case studies felt all too familiar.
Listed to on Audible, read by Tim Wheeler, and is easy but informative listening. Has some online resources too so audio edition is not a problem.
This is not a book of retorts, nor a way of influencing people to do what you want through manipulation. It explains simply how to stop your ideas falling at hurdles at all stages of a proposal.
Would particularly recommend for students who are involved with societies - some of the case studies felt all too familiar.
Listed to on Audible, read by Tim Wheeler, and is easy but informative listening. Has some online resources too so audio edition is not a problem.
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