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Tip 327: Notice whether people listen to your answers. |
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If you answer a question-objection while the person seemingly jumps to another issue without giving your answer much thought, pay attention to that behavior. That question serves only as a decoy to cover the real reluctance to go along with your proposed idea. When the question is for real, the other person listens and incorporates your response into his or her thinking. |
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Tip 328: Prepare for the standard objections. |
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Objections in the workplace are, unfortunately, standard: "We've never done it that way before." "We can't afford to." "We can't afford not to." ''It's risky." "Let's let somebody else work out the bugs and then we'll see." "We've got too much invested in the status quo." "We don't have the time to devote to it." "We don't have enough people." "We don't have the expertise." "That's somebody else's job." "I just don't think we can make it work." "Our people won't like it." |
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Plan your response to the objections you know will arise in your discussions. |
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Tip 329: Recognize the body language of resistance. |
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Some people voice resistance openly: "I'm not interested." "I don't think the idea will fly." "I can't give it my full attention until next year." Others gesture their resistance: clock watching, foot or finger tapping, playing with objects within reach, doodling on paper, staring out the window or door. Others look for distractions to take them away: phone calls and fires to put out. Some try to make a game of it. They ask unrelated, distracting questions, nitpick your data, and toss out silly comments. Some are openly rude and grow irritable. Some withhold key information and observations so you have to guess what they know. Others just sit patiently and wait for you to "get it over with" so they can politely say no. |
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Recognize all these signs so you know how far you are from your goal of agreement. |
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Tip 330: Dig for unspoken reservations. |
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Don't stop at recognizing the signs of resistance. Get them on the table. When people seem reluctant to accept your ideas, be persistent in recover- |
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