You're facing resistance from skeptical team members. How do you gain their buy-in?
Facing resistance from your team? Winning their buy-in starts with understanding their concerns and addressing them head-on. Here are some strategies to help:
How do you handle resistance from your team? Share your strategies.
You're facing resistance from skeptical team members. How do you gain their buy-in?
Facing resistance from your team? Winning their buy-in starts with understanding their concerns and addressing them head-on. Here are some strategies to help:
How do you handle resistance from your team? Share your strategies.
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Gaining buy-in from skeptical team members requires a mix of empathy, transparency, and collaboration. Start by actively listening to their concerns — sometimes, they just want to feel heard. Share the bigger picture, emphasizing how the change aligns with both organizational goals and their personal growth. Use data or success stories to back your case. Involve them in decision-making to build ownership; everyone loves a slice of the pie! Address doubts with clear communication and provide a support system, like training or resources. Celebrate small wins to show progress and build confidence. As Steve Jobs said, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower" — lead by example to inspire belief and trust!
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- Listen actively and validate their perspective. For example, say, "I understand why this might feel uncertain for you." Understanding builds trust. - Connect the change to outcomes that matter to them—efficiency, reduced workload, or team success. Be specific and relatable. - Ask for their input and make them part of the process. People support what they help create. Resistance often stems from fear of the unknown. Address this with transparency and collaboration, showing you're on the same team.
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Overcoming Resistance: At Millionaire, I’ve learned that gaining buy-in isn’t about pushing ideas — it’s about building trust. Here’s how I approach it: 🤝 Empathy – I listen to concerns and address them transparently. Understanding fears helps create open dialogue. 📊 Data-Driven Decisions – I back up proposals with solid data and real-world examples, showing clear ROI and benefits. 🤝 Early Collaboration – Involving the team early ensures buy-in and ownership. 🎉 Celebrate Small Wins – Highlighting early successes builds confidence and momentum for future efforts. 🔮 The Bigger Picture – It’s not about forcing change — it’s about inspiring confidence and working towards a shared vision.
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Resistance is feedback—it’s an opportunity to refine your approach and build trust. When facing skeptical team members, I start by acknowledging their concerns and creating space for open, honest dialogue. Tools like the 'red thread'—which connects individual efforts to a shared goal—help clarify the purpose behind the change, making it relevant and meaningful. Rather than avoiding resistance, I lean into it, treating it as productive conflict by asking thoughtful questions to surface frustrations and uncover underlying fears. Change isn’t a one-and-done conversation—it’s an iterative process. By framing it as a shared journey and involving the team in finding solutions, I empower them to see the benefits and co-create progress.
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Barry Kashambo
Executive Chairman, Africa Air Transport Solutions Associates, ( AATSA) International
Team trust and onfidence is a critical aspect of effective servant leadership, conflict management and addressing resistance. Avoiding silos and nurturing unity plus cooperation is essential to breakdown barriers that generate resistance. The good news is that resistance is temporary if effectively addressed but poisonous when left in limbo.
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