How can you effectively communicate the benefits of business architecture changes to skeptical stakeholders?

- 👂 Listen actively to stakeholders' concerns and questions about proposed changes. - 🤝 Empathize with their worries to tailor your message and address specific issues. - 🗣️ Demonstrate respect for their perspective, fostering trust and openness. - 🔄 Engage in constructive dialogue about the benefits of the changes. - 💡 Provide clear, tangible examples of how changes will positively impact the organization.

I collaborated in a company that implanted a new regional leadership model. The Country Managers were not only skeptical but concerned about this new structure (they used to led all functions in their facilities and suddenly HR, Finance and Operations became independent functions managed by regional leaders). The challenge was to demonstrate that we as regional leaders were not focused on questioning or blocking the Country Managers; we were their business partners and our main goal was to support and guide them. It was not easy to make them feel that way, but eventually we achieved that goal by being transparent, supportive, empathetic and assertive. Fortunately, better business results were delivered because we worked as TEAM.

Effectively communicating business architecture changes to skeptical stakeholders involves framing benefits clearly. Begin by identifying pain points or inefficiencies that the changes address. Use concrete examples and data to illustrate potential improvements in efficiency, cost savings, or competitive advantage. Tailor messages to resonate with stakeholders' priorities and concerns, highlighting how changes align with strategic goals and industry trends. Address skepticism directly by acknowledging risks and presenting mitigation plans. Foster open dialogue and encourage stakeholder participation in decision-making to build confidence and ownership in the change process.

Comece pela escuta ativa. Mudanças podem ter reflexos muito parecidos com as 7 fases do luto. Por isso, ter empatia e oferecer espaço de escuta é tão importante. Implemente pesquisas, abra espaço para que as pessoas se expressem, faça perguntas! Dê prioridade para perguntas mais abertas. Para que as pessoas compartilhem seus "comos" e "porquês". Saiba coletar e receber informações sem questioná-las. Pense em cada preocupação e feedback compartilhado como se fosse um presente: Receba o pacote, agradeça (antes mesmo de abrir) e, mais tarde, com cuidado, veja o que tem dentro. Depois, analise como, quando e onde você pode usá-lo, se o tamanho está correto e assim por diante. As pessoas só vão te ouvir, quando você souber escutá-las.

Ask them where would they like to be in 12 months time? What would that world look like for them? Ask if their current framework will get them there or not? Why or why not? When companies and leadership are buried in the day to day, these questions are often missed but sit at the root of the solution.

Destacar os benefícios parece simples, mas acaba sendo uma das tarefas mais complexas. A gente não compartilha as mesmas vivências e perspectivas. Por isso, só dá pra falar sobre o que é positivo em uma mudança, quando a gente conhece o lugar do outro. Se a sua fala não se conecta com a realidade de quem está ouvindo, nenhum benefício é convincente o bastante. É importante comparar a sua visão com outras perspectivas, como os feedbacks coletados no processo de escuta ativa. As pessoas só veem mudanças como algo positivo, quando os benefícios resolvem os problemas que elas conhecem, que fazem parte de suas rotinas.

Always remember that business stakeholders don't care about technologies that much. That's why you can only get a buy-in for architecture changes if you clearly explain which benefits it will bring from a business perspective. For example, ability to onboard more users. Or to make certain business processes faster and cheaper.

Start with the end in mind, and describe how and why the new strategies will align with their desired outcome. Show the SWOT analysis of what they are facing with respect to inertia.

Nelson Mandela famously said (paraphrased) "...if you speak to a person in their own language you speak to their heart'. This statement underscores the importance of communicating in a language that your audience understands. It calls for an avoidance of jargon and technical language. The use of comparisons of the known with the unknown can also help to convince a skeptical audience that proposed changes will lead to improvements.

Esqueça o "technês". Nem todo mundo precisa saber os detalhes técnicos e cada especificidade de uma mudança. Você agrega muito mais valor quando se conecta com a simplicidade. Se tiver dificuldade para adaptar a sua explicação, criar cenas pode te ajudar. Conte uma história, crie analogias. Pense em como transformar a situação técnica em algo cotidiano. Uma amiga costumava dizer: "Eu preciso que você me explique o problema desse Hardware, como se ele fosse um problema na minha geladeira." Assim, ela não só entendia o problema, como conseguia pensar em soluções.

Simplify business architecture changes using clear, jargon-free language and visual aids like diagrams or flowcharts. This approach makes the complex information understandable and helps stakeholders grasp the strategic vision, showing how the changes will lead to organizational improvements. This clarity ensures better acceptance and support from stakeholders.

Describe what innovators are doing in adjacent industries while describing a roadmap that boosts the business to the next level. It is not only about reaching a target; it is also essential to raise the floor of expectation across an organization.

Implementing business architecture changes can be challenging, but a comprehensive roadmap can ease concerns about potential disruptions. Start by evaluating the current state and documenting existing processes. Establish a vision for the desired future state and set measurable objectives aligned with business goals. Conduct a gap analysis to identify and prioritize areas for improvement. Develop actionable initiatives, allocate necessary resources, and create a timeline with key milestones. Use visual aids to communicate the roadmap clearly. Regular updates and continuous stakeholder engagement can mitigate concerns about risks, demonstrating that a well-thought plan is in place to guide the transition smoothly.

Good business architecture reflects how the business fundamentally operates. It's critical to ensure a clear line can be drawn between proposed architecture changes and a business outcome that the current architecture is unable to achieve. The discipline of an ongoing focus on the relationship between business outcomes and architecture doesn't just help to overcome resistance to specific changes - it also provides quality control and adaptability for the architecture itself. Stakeholders will have greater trust in the architecture when they see that relationship to outcomes and the ability of the architecture to adapt as business circumstances evolve.

Effectively communicating the benefits of business architecture changes to skeptical stakeholders involves understanding their concerns and framing the changes in terms of tangible improvements such as cost savings, efficiency gains, and alignment with strategic goals. Use clear, concise language, provide evidence-backed examples, and engage stakeholders in open discussions to address their doubts and build consensus around the proposed changes.

Make it emotional. Relate it to a human experience. Paint the picture. Help them really FEEL how it will make a difference, and not rely on just data or information--based evidence. Often our subconscious wisdom is much greater than what we think we know. Let them decide intuitively - by appealing to their intuition, and emotion.

A mi me ha resultado útil, validar a las partes escépticas, escucharlas, comprender las emociones que están asociadas a ese esceptisismo. Y, a su vez abrir espacio para relacionarse emocionalmente con esa nueva arquitectura, habitarla, qué despierta la motivación, el sentido de propósito personal, y sobre todo qué les ayuda a sentirse + parte de ella.