"What? Give them a choice? You must be crazy!"

That was a corporate staff´s reaction to my recommendation for solving their problem.

The corporate staff had met with me and asked what had gone wrong. They had installed a new software program to help the operating units more effectively manage a variety of functions. Frustrated, they admitted that the project had failed. Few were using the program, and those that were used it sparingly and incorrectly. Everyone complained about it.

As any good consultant would do, I answered their question with a question: "What was your process for selecting and implementing?"

They explained that they examined a number of possible programs and invited several vendors to present their products. After a thorough review of the pros and cons, the staff selected the one they felt best satisfied the needs of the organization.

Corporate staff then met with all of the site managers and presented to them the software to be installed at each site. In the meeting, they answered the managers´ questions and charged them with selling the software program to their local staffs. Each manager listened, nodded in agreement and returned to his or her site. Later, when managers were asked if they had, in fact, met with their staffs and sold the program, they all responded with an emphatic "Yes!"

"So what went wrong?" they asked.

Again, I responded with a question: "What might have happened if you had involved the end users at the site level?"

"We did!" was the response.

"No. I mean at the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"What if you had presented the program to representatives from each site and asked them what they thought about it?"

This last question finally sparked a reaction.

"What! Give them a choice?"

"But they did have a choice. They made a choice and the answer was an emphatic ´No!´ They just didn´t say it to you directly," I explained.

The room was silent. I continued. "What if you had brought everyone into a room to hear the same vendor presentation you heard?"

"Do you know how much that would cost?"

"No, I don´t. Let´s make an educated guess."

After guestimating the cost of transportation from a variety of states and adding hotel and food costs, the number was impressive, but not nearly as impressive as the amount of money they had wasted on the software project. Had they simply involved the right people in the beginning, they may have gotten a "no" early on and saved a ton of money. They may also have gotten a "not the best, but we can make it work" response, or even a committed "yes."

The corporate staff got the point. Luckily for them, when they acknowledged their mistake to end users and asked for help solving the problems, users were willing to help. Although the end users were not excited about the software, they believed they could make it work and realize most of the hoped-for benefits. They eventually succeeded in salvaging the project and were able to quantify the return to the business, but only after a lot of heartache and incurred costs that could have been avoided.

It may not seem sensible to have everyone involved in every decision, but making it a practice to include those affected whenever possible can increase the likelihood of getting real answers about feasibility and real commitment to making the decisions work. It may sound crazy, but what´s crazier, giving them a choice or pretending they don´t have it and living with the results?

Trying it on for fit: Here are some tips for increasing your probability of success obtaining commitment to decisions:

• Involve those affected in defining the problem, examining alternatives and making the decision.
• Always ask end users how, and if, a decision will work before moving ahead with it.
• Enlist, or charge, those impacted in/with finding the best ways to implement the decision.
• If large groups of people from distant locations are involved, have them select representatives who can communicate back and forth and ensure full support from the rank and file.
• Let go of the idea that those lower in the hierarchy have little or no choice. Whether or not they express it, they alone decide if they are to commit or not.
• In discussions with impacted employees or departments, encourage employees to challenge the decision and provide solutions to the problems identified.

Send an e-mail and let me know what you learn from your experiences.  I would love to hear from you!

Kevin Herring is co-author of Practical Guide for Internal Consultants, and President of Ascent Management Consulting.  Ascent specializes in creating business solutions through effective management, workplace cultures and organization systems.

Kevin can be reached at 520-742-7300, kevinh@ascentmgt.com or www.ascentmgt.com

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