Mistakes Talent Leaders Make - Falling in Love with Your Solution

“All my work - out the window! He doesn’t even know what he wants!”

Have you ever worked really, really hard on a program design or strategy - only to present it to your senior leader and find out it wasn’t what they wanted?

If you’re like me and every one of my clients, the answer is YES - even if it was a long time ago.

Last week I wrote about one of the biggest mistakes that Talent Management Leaders make:  over-using HR/Talent-speak with stakeholders.

Today, I’m talking about another mistake.

Mistake #2:   Falling in LOVE with your own solution too early

It’s easy to blame the boss or stakeholder and tell ourselves they’re impossible and have no clue what they want.

We whine that they know ONLY what they do NOT want.

But what if that’s a good thing? 

What if starting with what clients don’t want is a normal, helpful part of your needs analysis/engagement process?   

A way to start to “unlock” what they really want and need?

Here is an approach that works:

🍏ASK what they want AND what they do NOT want

🍏Get them to express very specifically what will be different as a result of this program they want you to put in place

🍏Go away, brainstorm, come up with a couple of options and write them up high-level 

(RESIST the urge to spend too much time here designing and developing and falling in love with your idea/model/solution)

🍏Go BACK to your stakeholder and get feedback  - “How well do these options align with the outcomes you are wanting ?”

🍏 Now - embrace the iteration!    EXPECT some back and forth as both parties get the clarity they need to ensure a relevant, effective solution.

What are your tips for avoiding falling in love with your solutions too early? 🍏🍏🍏