You're working with founders who resist advice. How do you keep communication open?
Working with founders who resist advice requires a balance of patience, empathy, and strategic communication. Here's how you can foster open dialogue:
What strategies have worked for you in similar situations? Share your thoughts.
You're working with founders who resist advice. How do you keep communication open?
Working with founders who resist advice requires a balance of patience, empathy, and strategic communication. Here's how you can foster open dialogue:
What strategies have worked for you in similar situations? Share your thoughts.
-
Communication with founders is a two-way street. When founders resist advice, it is often due to a deeper misunderstanding. In my experience, the key is listening first, truly understanding their concerns and priorities. Then, unpack their thoughts using data-backed insights and your perspective. Ultimately, founders are in charge of running their companies and for VCs and advisors to be effective supporters, they need to focus on keeping communication open and clear.
-
Having worked with several founders who are advice resistant, I can say that it requires a balanced approach emphasizing trust, very strategic communication and actionable value additions. Some key points: - Acknowledge their autonomy and try to align on shared goals - Create a safe space for open dialogue - Use a lot of data to back your recommendations that resonates with their logical priorities - Work towards small wins and show the effectiveness of your guidance
-
As investors, one of our key roles is to help founders maximise learnings from every initiative they undertake. If a founder resists advice, I encourage them to methodically document their team's actions, processes and unexpected outcomes. Every initiative is a test of their business model, and while they may not take advice upfront, it's crucial they extract valuable insights on the back end. This way the founders don't feel that their ability to innovate and move quickly is being constrained. It also keeps communication open and ensures the venture's growth is driven by informed decision making.
-
Prepare your topics: Noting down the tbd topics point wise before heading to any discussion is very helpful. Giving a foreword before starting the conversation, helps engage. Understanding that their time is very much valuable and reciprocating accordingly helps.
-
Working with resistant founders demands patience, empathy, and tact. To keep communication open: - Build Trust: Show respect for their vision through active listening and alignment with their goals. - Frame Insights as Collaboration: Use inclusive language like “let’s explore” to avoid seeming prescriptive. - Present Data-Driven Evidence: Support advice with relevant metrics or case studies, enhancing credibility. - Focus on Small Wins: Propose low-risk actions that demonstrate value quickly, fostering confidence in your input. - Adapt Your Approach: Tailor communication style to their preferences, ensuring receptivity.
-
An understanding of the personality of each of the founders is important. Then design the appropriate approach in communicating with each one. Some people are slow in accepting others. Have patience. Gather all material data and presenting them to the founders to convince them. Appreciation of their strength and uniqueness can also build up rapport and gain trust with them.
-
Build trust and embrace patience Prove up small wins to build credibility Chart a long term plan to attain accountability
-
Effective communication is crucial when working with resistant founders. Here are some tips: 1. Empathy: Understand their perspective and validate their feelings. 2. Build Trust: Be reliable, honest, and transparent. 3. Frame Advice as Questions: Encourage critical thinking and ownership. 4. Offer Support and Guidance: Provide resources and non-directive advice. 5. Respect Autonomy: Let them make their own decisions. 6.Patience and Persistence: Maintain consistent communication and a long-term perspective.
-
Most founders have their own stories that they love to repeat and cherish—and for good reason! These stories are their foundation. The key is to listen carefully, identify a few main points, and then relate your advice back to their story. When they see how your input aligns with their journey, they’re more likely to listen and engage.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Public SpeakingWhat are the best ways to incorporate questions into your keynote speech?
-
PresentationsWhat are the best practices for creating a powerful presentation ending?
-
PresentationsHow can you handle aggressive questions?
-
Public SpeakingWhat do you do if your co-presenters disagree during a presentation?