Guru Review

The managers seemed to have that “Oh no, not another silver bullet” look every time I mentioned the new idea. But when one of them asked me what Garrison thought of the idea and another asked me what Carol thought of it, it hit me that that the managers looked to these two individuals for advice. So I asked all the managers if they would help me create a review team for the idea. Each of the managers who agreed appointed one member. When the team met one afternoon, I was there to give a short presentation and to answer their questions. I took notes and wrote a report that the team approved before it was forwarded to management. Not only did this exercise help me convince management that the innovation had merit, but it also uncovered some issues I had not considered. As I recall, there were even skeptics on that review team who were eventually won over to the benefit of all concerned.

Gather anyone who is a Guru on Your Side and other interested colleagues to evaluate the new idea for managers and other developers.

You are an Evangelist(144) or Dedicated Champion(129) working to introduce a new idea into your organization.

Some managers and developers are supportive, but others are reluctant to join in until they have some assurance that this is a worthwhile idea.

Managers and developers are overwhelmed by information. They can’t keep up with the latest and greatest. They have probably been disappointed by the promises of the never-ending stream of silver bullets and have become skeptical and reluctant to go along with even the most convincing arguments.

However, they are always interested in something that will help make their jobs easier and improve the quality of their products. They just need solid evidence. Usually, managers and developers will trust the judgment of their local guru, especially if they have a long-term relationship.

Because this guru usually keeps up with the latest trends, he can be referred to as a Maven, a reliable source of knowledge. This perception of reliability allows him to influence a large audience, including managers.

Therefore:

Gather a review team of respected gurus in the organization to evaluate the new idea.

Start looking for potential team members among the individuals you have identified as a Guru on Your Side(158). The team must be respected by management and other influential people and have backgrounds that will allow them to be effective evaluators. Ask for Help(104). Get names from managers or from Connectors(119). Include all the right people. Leaving someone out could hurt your cause. If one of the gurus is a vocal skeptic, you may want to include him as Champion Skeptic(116) in this group.

Personally invite these individuals to be part of an organized review. Do Food(132) and Location, Location, Location(189) if the budget allows. Hold a series of information sessions or a half-day or full-day workshop. Give the team a list of questions or issues to address. Encourage discussion to uncover any areas where there is doubt. Include sources of External Validation(148). Be present when you can to answer questions and address concerns.

Prepare a report for management. Keep the results around to use when a manager wants to know “What’s this stuff all about?” Be ready to answer questions generated by the report and have a plan for the Next Steps(195). If this sparks some management support, it may be a sign that it is The Right Time(207) to take advantage of this.

This one-time task force may be willing to continue as an ongoing review committee for the innovation. This committee can include gurus who were appointed to the original task force and others who are interested enough to join in. Remember to Just Say Thanks(183) for any support.

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This pattern produces data about the innovation through a firsthand evaluation from respected colleagues. The report, if positive, can be used to spark more support for the new idea, especially among management.

But use of this pattern can be risky. If the team’s report is not positive, or if a few members are vocal about their apprehensions, the efforts to introduce the new idea can be brought to a standstill. Head off this possibility by using Corridor Politics(126) and use Stay in Touch(221) during the evaluation process.

The vice president and his staff requested a review after Brad’s initial presentation about the new idea. Each member of the vice president’s staff named one person for the evaluation team. Innovators who had been involved from the beginning were also invited. After a positive evaluation, the management became active supporters of the innovation and the word spread throughout the organization.

Before bringing Lotus Notes into one organization, a cross-functional Information Needs Committee was formed to gather information on the feasibility of the software. After conducting a thorough review, they made the recommendation to implement Notes. Some of the members then created a project team to define what applications to attack first.