I'm writing a series of articles on tools that have been tested by me as a leader, change-maker, mother and entrepreneur. I promise it's a quick, simple, effective, and even inspires beautiful transformations, if you commit to practising them daily or as often as possible.
💡THE PROBLEM: LACK OF SUPPORT
When you drive change, especially if it's going to have a sustainable impact, you're often out of step with the rest of the group.
At best, you arouse astonishment; at worst, you meet with mistrust or mockery.
Changes in favour of sustainability require collaboration with multiple stakeholders and organisational partners.
Nothing changes when being isolated.
The challenges are systemic and too vast to be tackled alone.
I regularly hear my clients complain about feeling lonely, about the burden of carrying it alone, and about the frustration of constantly having to push others to act.
I understand.
I've been in their shoes.
However, the real problem does not lie in the lack of commitment from others.
The real challenge is twofold:
Often, the engagement strategy is inadequate
The degree of desire generated by our proposals and the way we embody change is often low.
Today, I'm focusing on a key lever to address the first point: activating the right allies.
🔍 THE TOOL: THE ALLIES STRATEGY
"A PROJECT DOESN'T DIE BECAUSE OF ITS OPPONENTS BUT BECAUSE OF THE CRUEL LACK OF ALLIES"
This is one of the key lessons of sociodynamics, a change management method founded by Jean-Christian Fauvet in the 1970s.
What is important to understand is :
A person's position towards your project varies according to their feelings and opinions at a given moment. This position can change over time.
Joining forces with motivated people is essential to mobilize a groupThe aim is not to convince the reluctant or the passive, but to capitalise on the drivers of change to create a ripple effect.
Here's the partners map, useful for mapping your ecosystem and finding the right allies
Sociodynamic position of stakeholders
Source JC Faudet
🐝 YOUR CHALLENGE TO SURROUND YOURSELF WELL
If you're still with me (thank you, by the way), you're probably wondering, "OK, but in practical terms, what do I do?"
Here are two options:
You can make an inventory of the players around you and place them on the partners map above.
You can also answer these questions to identify your key allies according to your needs:
Who brings you positive energy?
Who can help you have more influence? Who can you talk to?
Who is a source of ideas? Who can share tools and feedback?
Who knows your ecosystem well and can help you navigate the political issues?
Who is motivated and directly concerned by your mission? With whom can you move forward and co-construct?
For each key need, you will find the right ally. There's no need to ask your allies to be at your side 24 hours a day. They can be peers, superiors, mentors, colleagues, suppliers, customers, coaches and friends.
MY FEEDBACK
I discovered the importance of allies during my coaching in Japan, thanks to Sophie Mauriac (hello and thank you Sophie if you read me).
At the time I felt very alone. My missions to transform the organisation, my position at the Excom, the different Japanese culture, the managerial challenges, the ecological emergency, everything was weighing on me. I often complained. I felt like I was alone against everyone.
The work of mapping my allies enabled me to regain control of my daily life and my impact. I had to open my eyes and identify who could support me and provide me with resources based on my different needs and challenges.
A positive dynamic ensued and strong professional and personal ties were forged. My day-to-day life gradually changed, and a few years later I was able to leave Japan proud of the collective impact we had created.
I can only advise you to activate your vision and your links with your allies.
They're out there, just waiting for a sign from you. Believe me.
“So ... ready to start? ”
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Hi Changemakers!
I am Nina, an impact maker coach, specializing in leadership and sustainable transformation. I have spent the past 12+ years leading sustainable change in a Fortune 500 organization in a multicultural environment. What I like to do through my activities is to inspire organizations professionals to rethink the business and make them proud to contribute, in their own way, to a more sustainable, human, and nature-friendly world. If you wish to be an inspiring and impactful leader engaging your team and organisation to create a better world, contact me!