Document and Socialize the Solution
Document a proposed solution and discuss it with stakeholders before implementation. Give leadership a concise account of the problem and proposal, and provide implementers with the evidence, rationale, and details they need.
THE IDEA
Step 6. Document and Socialize the Solution
After the idea has been pressure-tested and refined, you must do one more thing before implementing it: make sure that others are on board with the idea. This requires documenting it – that is, putting the idea in writing so that people can refer to it during discussion and implementation. Then share the solution with the appropriate stakeholders and decision-makers.
When presenting it to leadership for approval, keep the problem overview and proposed solution basic. You should be able to describe it in a couple of sentences.
When presenting it to people who will be involved in implementing the solution, provide more detail, including the data you used, the people you consulted or otherwise worked with, and the process you and your team used to arrive at the solution.
Getting buy-in requires working within your organization’s hierarchy by managing up (to leadership) and down (to the team you manage) as well as horizontally, to colleagues and other interested parties.
When to use it
Presenting a new budget allocation proposal to the CFO.
Introducing a new workflow change to a cross-functional team.
Pitching a content marketing strategy to the executive board.
Rolling out a software update to a customer support team.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Marketing Campaign Proposal
A marketing team develops a new campaign idea. They write a one-page summary for the CMO (focusing on expected ROI and key messaging) and a detailed project plan for the creative team (including data sources, personas, and timeline).
Product Feature Launch
A product manager documents the rationale for a new feature, including user research and technical feasibility, then presents a concise elevator pitch to the VP of Product while sharing a full spec document with engineers.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How can you tailor your documentation to different audiences (leadership vs. implementers) to maximize buy-in?
What risks arise if you skip the documentation step and only communicate the solution verbally?
How do you handle resistance from stakeholders during the socialization process?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Thinking in Systems and Mental Models Think Like a Super Thinker (Dawson, Marcus P)