In response to challenging economic times or to take advantage of exciting new opportunities, it may be necessary to implement new and innovative ways of getting things done in your business. But how do you get your employees on board with changes that directly affect them?
In this article, Ferrari Energy lays out a sure-fire way to get employee buy-in for changes in your company.
Being an employer means making tough decisions. There are a million things that affect the success of your business, and they change continually.
In nearly every case, when you come up with an innovative way to improve profitability or gain market share, you will need to ask your employees to change what they do or how they do it. To be successful, you need them to be as enthusiastic about your ideas as you are. You need their buy-in.
Buy-in can only happen if work is more than just transactional. If your relationship with your employees stops at – they show up for work, do what they’re told, and you provide a paycheck – you’ll never get them to feel invested in your ideas. Why would they?
The essential three Ts
There are three essential components to helping your employees feel invested in your company’s success. These three Ts principles will enable you to build a workplace environment that embraces innovative new ideas.
More than just accepting new ideas, this stable three-legged platform will enable your business to excel in every area your employees affect.
1. Trust
Trust can only be earned, never demanded. Building trust with your employees starts on day one. From their first day on the job, they must see evidence that suggests you have their best interest in mind and that the company considers their well-being in every decision.
Your publicly stated mission statement should include language that places the success of your employees on equal footing with the company’s success. Even your everyday language about the company should indicate that you believe your employees are invaluable and essential to why you do what you do.
When your employees know that you have their best interest in mind, they will welcome new ideas to make the company more successful, and they will see their success tied to the company’s success.
2. Teamwork
Most people perform at their best when they are part of a team. Members of a team set their personal preferences aside and happily give up certain conveniences for the team’s benefit. This fact is vital for garnering employee buy-in for innovative new ideas because, as part of a team, they will be willing to accept changes to help the team as a whole.
As a leader, you must focus on promoting teamwork. Unity among your employees will improve performance and productivity and drive acceptance of new ideas and changes.
3. Truth
Trust and teamwork cannot exist unless they are based on truth. This third leg for achieving buy-in is essential. Most people have an uncanny ability to detect disingenuous overtures. If you say that you care about the well-being of your employees, but in actuality, you don’t – don’t expect your employees to believe that you honestly do. They won’t. If you talk about teamwork but don’t practice the principle yourself, your employees will see right through the charade.
In the end, gaining buy-in for your innovative new ideas is more about you than your employees. If they can trust that you have their best interest in mind and create a teamwork environment, your employees will readily follow your lead at nearly any cost if they are grounded in truth and sincerity.
About Ferrari Energy
Ferrari Energy is a family-owned private oil and gas company focused on mineral and leasehold acquisitions. Founded in Denver, CO, with a focus on educating landowners, Ferrari Energy has consistently served the needs of the landowner community in the basins in which it works. Its operation covers several areas throughout Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and ND. Ferrari Energy has provided oil and gas leases to over 850 homeowners and held multiple lease signing events to accommodate the residents of Broomfield, Colorado.
Ferrari Energy took its name from its founder, Adam Ferrari. Adam is a native of Chicago and was formally educated in chemical and biomolecular engineering. He completed his degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and finished at the top of his class, graduating magna cum laude.
As a young professional, Adam worked in the operations and business sides of the energy industry. After gaining ten years of direct industry experience, he took his passion for the energy industry and launched Ferrari Energy.
