You're facing resistance from senior team members. How can you get them on board with new ways of working?

Start by clearly communicating the benefits and necessity of the change, highlighting how it aligns with the organization's goals and long-term vision. Involve senior team members early in the planning process, seeking their input and addressing their concerns to foster a sense of ownership. Provide comprehensive training and support to ease the transition and demonstrate how the new methods can enhance their efficiency and effectiveness. Share success stories and data from similar implementations to build confidence in the proposed changes.

1. Understand their concerns:Listen actively to their reservations. 2. Highlight benefits: Show how new methods improve outcomes. 3. Provide evidence: Share success stories or data from pilot projects. 4. Seek their input: Involve them in shaping the changes. 5. Offer support: Provide training and resources to ease transition.

Ask & listen: 1. Ask how they perceive the change. You might reveal some misunderstandings already. Re-explain if necessary. 2. Ask them what risk & benefits they see for themselves. 3. Ask them what is truly standing in their way. What stops them from taking the first step of going 'all-in'. You might reveal their first road block right there. 4. Ask them what they need to remove this roadblock. 5. Conclude with a concrete next step and include how you'll support them. 6. Do what you promised. 7. Follow-up frequently, one step at a time.

Show them that you have been in their shoes OR be honest to acknowledge when you know that you have not. If not, refer back to Step-1 -- Listening, to encourage insights and building awareness of the challenges, frustration, and needs. The important piece is to demonstrate that you care, that you are listening, and aligning the organization's unique interests to build win-win solutions for added advocacy.

Widerstand entsteht auch daraus, dass Menschen sich machtlos fühlen. Der aktive Widerstand ist dann wie ein lautes Warnsignal: "Achtung! Schau hier hin! Ich fühle mich nicht gesehen!" Wenn wir wollen, dass Menschen mitmachen, geht es auch darum sie in die Selbstwirksamkeit und Eigenverantwortung zu bringen. Das kann bedeuten einen Rahmen für die neue Arbeitsweise z.B. Ziele oder Richtlinien vorzugeben. Gleichzeitig können sich die Teammitglieder in diesem Rahmen aber frei und eigenverantwortlich bewegen.

Prioritize achieving quick wins to showcase the effectiveness of new methodologies. These early successes build momentum and help convince skeptics. Acknowledge and celebrate these achievements, particularly the contributions of senior team members. Positive reinforcement solidifies support for ongoing changes.

When you open a conversation, the questions that you ask can be great change tools. 1. Ask questions that help people UNDERSTAND THAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND, I mean by this to help them see different points of view, to see the hole picture and not only their own perspective. 2. Help them to go deep in their analysis, help then to reach the root cause of the problems and ask them to think on real/possible solutions and not the first idea that comes to their maind 3. Help them empathise with other members of the team, with the work experience that other people have (understand as Employee Experience) and ask them to be "heroes" to help to build a better Eex for all.

When encountering resistance from senior team members towards new ways of working, it's essential to consider additional strategies beyond the initial steps mentioned. Firstly, involving senior leaders early in decision-making processes and seeking their input can enhance buy-in. Secondly, creating a phased implementation plan with clear milestones can demonstrate tangible progress and build confidence. Lastly, fostering a culture of experimentation and learning from initial successes can encourage senior leaders to embrace and advocate for the new approaches. These approaches complement existing strategies and can facilitate smoother adoption of new ways of working within the senior team.