Evansville Observer: Watercooler: ALL CANDIDATES; When you offer new ideas to solve problems, how do you convince others to join with you in these projects?

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Watercooler: ALL CANDIDATES; When you offer new ideas to solve problems, how do you convince others to join with you in these projects?

2 comments:

The Evansville Observer8:57 PM
I openly have asked for discussion on areas of huge difference within our community. In this discussion I have met some very interesting people and am confident that through discussion many projects and problems can be resolved.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Karen10:38 AM
Unless you are experiencing one of those terrible moments of panicked desperation, I don't think anyone likes to be told what to do. The stronger I feel about something, the softer the approach I try to take. I have learned over time, that while this does not often end in personal glory for me (because not many realize I'm pushing) I end up with what I want, which is what I wanted. So the soft approach more often than not works for me. In a nutshell, this is my secret: I try to take myself out of the discussion as much as possible (hence my invisibility), then as openly as possible I simply line up as many facts as possible to back-up my position. I also try to include snippets of the opposing side to give some balance. People are free to evaluate and choose what they agree with. If I have done a good job, they will side with me, though they don't always see me standing there. When this happens, while it is personally lonely, it usually means my request has taken on a life of it's own with others championing the cause. Less work for me, with all the benefits of the outcome. If they do not side with me, I have made no enemies, because I haven't made it personal or secretive, and I either keep trying, or accept it and move on to something else.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)