Executive Buy-in

Is executive buy-in a good idea? Maybe not as much as we might think.

Here’s a common scenario. I have fallen in love with a great idea that will help the organization. It can have fundamental and strategic benefits. But to make it happen, I’ll need others to cooperate. Maybe with a budget. Or, maybe, just their time.

Assuming I’m brave enough, I go to the boss and ask for their support.

The boss might understand my concept. And they might believe it’s a fantastic idea. And they might instruct everyone else to get me whatever I need.

But that doesn’t happen very often.

In my own experience, you are more likely to encounter a boss who’s busy. They are going to be skeptical – not because they don’t trust you – but simply because it’s their nature. Maybe you make the mistake of presenting a pro-forma ROI that they’ll shred within a few seconds. Why should they put their reputation on the line to support an unproven idea? It’s hard to get excited about 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 because it’s not 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢.

So you leave. Frustrated. All because you were told (wrongly) that you need executive buy-in.

Instead, think like an entrepreneur. Start small. In fact, start invisible.

Build a prototype on the cheap. Or repurpose something you already have that’s not ideal, but it can work. If it’s a software tool, get a limited free version of the software and use it to experiment. Notecards and a whiteboard are often great starting points, too.

You don’t really need to wait for permission to try out your idea. Work on it as time allows. Gain some experience. Work your way through the unknowns. Figure out the key variables. Use your prototype for a while. Create a better version. At some point, show it to others. See if it will help them, too. Gain a following.

But as with many entrepreneurs, there may come a time when your on-the-cheap prototype can’t go any further. You need to scale up. And that’s when you go to the boss for either funding or clout. The difference is – now you have a proven concept. It works. You have active supporters who believe in it. You can demonstrate that it’s beneficial on a practical level. Maybe, at this point, you can even provide a realistic ROI with some evidence to support it. Now the boss is far more likely to pay attention when you can show how it works rather than describe how it 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 work.

Sometimes, the admonition that “you need executive buy-in” is a stumbling block that stops us before we even start. You rarely (maybe never) need it to get started. Be creative. Then, once it’s more tangible, go for executive buy-in if you need to scale up to deliver even more value.

That’s how you build a reputation as someone who knows how to ‘make it happen.’