Change is part and parcel of doing business. At the same time we all know at some level that there is a big difference between talking about and actually delivering change.
In any change situation there is always going to be one big challenge that you face- getting people to buy in and support the change that you are trying to make.
In many ways this should not come as a surprise. If you think about new products, there are those who want to get their hands on the latest version as soon as it is available. There are others who are much later at taking up the latest offer.
There are many different tactics and strategies that you can adopt when it comes to getting the support and buy in of others. Some are more successful than others.
One that is often overlooked which can actually be really powerful is to leverage key influencers.
These are people who others respect, who they see as a trusted source and someone who really is on their side.
Usually they are not the most senior people. In fact they may well be quite a bit down the pecking order in terms of status.
Often it is the fact that they are in touch with reality and the needs of those around them that makes the big difference.
So next time you are looking at a change, take a bit of time to identify the key influencers within the organisation and then determine how you can work with them to successfully make change.