Discover. Scope. Define. Develop. Test. Validate. Blah, blah, blah.
While there is value in thinking through how to modernize your environment, too often the processes lead to Analysis Paralysis. Nothing gets done and people get frustrated.
“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a decision,” is a truism strangely popularized both by Rene Descartes, the 17th century French philosopher, and Rush, the prog rock group.
But the best way to get a decision made in your favor is to either explain what will happen if you don’t do something or emphasize “innovation included.” Because as Peter Drucker explained decades ago,
“Not to innovate is the single largest reason for the decline of existing organizations. Not knowing how to manage is the single largest reason for the failure of new ventures.”
The good news is that you already know how to manage so now you just need to learn how to make your business case for the innovation resources you require.
Here’s what to do:
- Start by getting people to care emotionally about the problem
- Explain how your solution works and creates value
- Describe how you make life better, simpler, cheaper, or easier
Your story must bring to life how things are going to drastically improve from where things stand today to where they could be tomorrow. You need to call people to imagine the harsh realities of the current situation. Then, vividly describe what is and what could be to give your audience hope for the future.
You must end your story on a higher plan than it began, leaving the audience committed to take action. In business, you need to make your Call To Action specific. What do you need to transform the future and when will a better future begin to unfold?
This is probably different than how you’ve pitched before. That’s ok. At a time when resources are scarce, a different approach is what you need most. Failure to innovate is the safest way to slide into obsolescence. The only question is how fast will you slide?
Build Your Business Case Workshop
To help you avoid analysis paralysis and get to a decision, we created a Build Your Business Case Workshop. We learned this 7-step approach from Apple and Google, and in less than an hour you can master it too.
Here’s what to do:
- Watch our Build Your Business Case Workshop
- Share this with a friend and attend the workshop together
- Forward this to your manager to show you’re building your business acumen
