Building and Making it Stick--Get Going and Get Results!

Make it stick:  your message and your presence. How do you
do that these days?  I’m not even talking about LinkedIn or
other social media. How about when you are actually face to face
with another person? With all the competing requirements for
their attention-some known and many unknown to you-how do you
build a relationship with someone that sticks?


I found some answers to these questions in the third and final
conversation from my mini-series discussion  with Nick Sinai
and Marina Nitze, authors of the book Hack Your Bureaucracy: Get
Things Done No Matter What Your Role on Any Team, a book that I
found so poignant and captivating.


Marina, former Chief Technology Officer of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and Nick, a key player in the Obama
administration, share their insights into building authentic
relationships within large organizations, including the
government. They emphasize the importance of understanding
people's motivations, fears, and career aspirations (something I
call, MFC) to help them achieve their
goals. 


Throughout my own career in sales, leadership and coaching the
golden rule is to understand the MFC and express a sincere
appreciation to each person who chooses to share. Across multiple
relationships, this begins to form a web of people who become
connected and willing to reach a new goal. Whether inside or
outside the company or agency, they become willing to work
through disagreements to achieve results and many times to create
what often becomes a great new service, product or company. One
of my takeaways from the book is that the awareness of MFC and
then putting it into action are the foundation for Making It
Stick whether practiced individually or by a team. 


We highlight Marina’s incredibly innovative "Grilled
Cheese Club” (yes, you can form one too!) approach where
individuals from different parts of an organization come together
to foster collaboration and understanding, overcoming
bureaucratic obstacles in a low-key and informal way. Best to do
this in person if possible and don’t forget the cheese! 


The discussion turns to the provocative concept of
"stabbing people in the chest,” which in
practice is nothing like what it sounds like. It means being open
and honest with detractors about disagreements to build trust and
transparency so that when it does come time to gain agreement on
an initiative or program, you can make it stick. In practice,
this means navigating bureaucratic challenges and
fostering relationships, even with those with whom we
disagree. Think about the last part of that sentence:
‘even with those with whom we disagree’. As I work with coaching
clients, customers and partners, I have learned something really
inspiring:  the art of disagreeing and then reaching
compromise is something many people crave to learn more about and
practice in their life and work. 


In addition, our discussion touches upon the value of
playing the long game and exploring career
opportunities that go beyond just traditional paths, where Nick
and Marina stress the importance of earning trust and
demonstrating excellence before taking such leaps. In my own
career as well as those of clients, this is the number one rule
and we pair it up to the practice of, ‘give to get’. 


I hope that you will join the conversation as we wrap up this
mini-series and as Marina Nitze and Nick Sinai provide valuable
lessons on navigating bureaucracy and driving change, all while
leaving a meaningful impact on organizations and society.


Links & Resources:




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Hack Your Bureaucracy - Website




What’s Next Now - “Hack Your Bureaucracy Show #1: Defining
and Learning About Your Bureaucracy”




What’s Next Now - “Pitching and momentum: learn it, do it,
love it!”