Dealing with external partners resistant to your strategic vision. How do you get them on board?

Like in any other situation, you first have to understand the root cause of their concerns. This is going to take the effort from your side to listen, and to have a dialog, and to ask a lot of questions. But you need to come out of that interaction with a clear understanding of both the concerns and the root cause behind those concerns.

As long as the end goal is agreed the rest is open to discussion, understanding the business challenges the partner faces alongside any technical or people restrictions helps develop a strategy that will work for all parties. The key part to remember is it’s a partnership not a servant master relationship.

When dealing with an external partner’s resistance to your strategic vision, the first step is to understand and respect their perspective. You want to be open-minded to (1) your own imperfections, (2) the realization of the common goal, and (3) the value of additional input. So, the first step is to not also be resistant. Rather than quickly responding with trying to provide clarity, first understand the partner’s concerns by asking direct questions. “What concerns you most, and why?” Listen as they respond, and determine if you need to ask more questions, not only so you can be clear on what their concerns are, but so that you can also recognize where you may need to provide more clarity around the benefits of your vision.

The best partnerships are those that benefit both parties more than if they were working by themselves. Thus, you have to make sure that you understand your partner's perspective on what they're looking to gain from the partnership, how they measure success, etc. A good strategy is something that will generate benefits for both parties.

As you gain an understanding of the external partner’s concerns around your strategic vision, be sure to address each concern and question by showing the specific aspects of the vision that directly address each concern, and then looping it back to any mutual benefits that can be achieved by your strategic approach. You want to end each section with identifying the specific “win-win’s”. So, keep the project or company’s goals at the forefront. If the goals were at the center of your plans in the first place, you should always be able to come back to this when showing the correlation of how the vision and plan align with the external partner’s interests, but be clear on the specific benefits to the partner as well.

You need to make sure that your partner understands not only the strategy, but how it's going to benefit them. You have to be very clear on what is going to be the benefit them directly plus you need to communicate how is this strategy going to benefit the partnership. Obviously, you have to have a compelling story so that they commit to the strategy, because they see the benefits.

As you’re communicating clearly, I love the idea of avoiding using jargon and technical terms. However, the idea is also to make sure that the other party is understanding your point and the key takeaways. So, be sure to ask questions that will help you to understand that you are being understood. If you use relatable examples, end with a short summary on how the example ties into your point. I suggest asking direct but simple questions, such as “does that make sense?” And always end with asking if there are any remaining questions or feedback before moving on.

I love the use of data and evidence-based strategies. When pulling these details, try to find the most recent data as possible. This will minimize any pushback. The credibility that your data lends is toward you as a professional, your initiative to research, and it makes your strategy all the more solid.

What is often forgotten is the necessity of finding a middle ground in negotiations with suppliers, vendors, clients, or internal stakeholders. During my practice, I often told clients, "The mark of a fair agreement is when both parties are equally uncomfortable." This principle applies equally when dealing with stakeholders resistant to your strategic initiatives. The best way to implement your strategy is to listen, engage and compromise. The right compromise will enable you to implement the core tenets of your strategy while fostering better relationships with your stakeholders.

When considering negotiation, be open to changes to your original plan. As much as you may have presented your case well, the partner may, at times, have proposed a better alternative. As stated earlier, the focal point is on the common goal and the win-wins created.

The good thing about the rapport in your relationship-building is not just the “like-know-trust” factor, but if examples exist, point back to your reliability. Recall previous examples of your expertise and positive, desired outcomes. If the trust has been built, it’s for established reasons. Respectfully remind them of this.

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, some people may never be willing or ready to change their perspective. Be prepared to move on and focus your energy on other people or goals if none of these strategies prove effective.

To summarize, to address an external partner’s resistance and concerns: understand what the actual concerns are and the reasons for the resistance, ask questions, be open-minded, communicate clearly with detailed information that points back to the mutual benefits and win-wins, provide evidence-backed detail, keep the common goal in mind for negotiation, build your case around established trust. I’d also add that you may have come across your own resistance to ideas as you were researching and planning. Sharing that information would show how you were open-minded during the planning process, and would also give deeper perspective to why you ultimately concluded with your proposed vision.