Another great post. As a Community Manager and communication/marketing strategist, one of my biggest challenges is balancing efforts to super-serve the community with the need to collaborate and work with colleagues. I definitely agree with your view on pushing boundaries. I’m willing to do that, even if it ruffles some feathers. But there’s a way to push boundaries of innovation without plucking those feathers as well.

- Understand the root issues of gaining acceptance and adoption of your idea. For my project, it involves addressing the individual behavioral change and company culture, far more than the technology tool.

- Adoption of a new idea can take time, and you should ask for feedback from your audience to shape/refine the idea. E.g. Our current solution evolved from internal blogs launched in 2005. We still have blogging capabilities, but we no longer use the word blog since “discussions” have a more favorable perception.

- Clearly outline the benefits. Address the idea from a “What’s in it for me?” perspective.

- Identify people who will champion the idea. One person or one team can evangelize only so far in a large multinational company. By finding others who are passionate about the idea, you’ll reach more people. In addition, people may be more receptive to ideas from colleagues they know from existing relationships.

- Act as a coach. Partner with teams to help them implement the idea, and provide regular follow-up and encouragement.

- Celebrate small wins. As your idea gains momentum, share examples of its success to help people and teams better understand it.

- Understand that your idea may not win over everyone. Focus your efforts on the “champions” and the teams who are willing to listen. As the idea gains momentum over time, the ‘laggards’ either adopt it or risk falling behind.

- Show your enthusiasm!

Yes, making the change without it being noticed works very well.

I can’t remember off the top of my head how I initiate change. I think it is something I just do naturally.

What I have found is that people who are driven to succeed welcome the change, ideas and progress.

People who hate change or like things as they are, seriously get upset with me and often put hurdles in my path and try to make it very difficult, even to the point of slander and doing everything they can to not make it happen.

Most change managers fail because they can’t stimulate other people to go with the changes they want to implement.

People are creatures of habit so any change (good or bad) is frightening. The trick is to make changes while nobody notices them, because convincing with arguments will be much harder… especially when the level of change is high.

It should be, like you wrote, well argumented, transparant and as unnoticeable as possible