#9 Buy * In : Saving your good idea from being shot down

How often do we feel let down when our ideas get shot down miserably by the men & women who matter. At least I have this bad,  bad, really bad track record of coming up with good ideas but losing steam soon, unable to defend them when faced with stiff objection. Given the dynamism in the world we live in & work, developing skills to promote & defend your good ideas credibly will eventually become a life saver – especially as you see yourself getting a better grip in your chosen career.

I must agree I just got lucky to lay my hands on this unexpectedly simply book by John Kotter – called “Buy * In: Saving your good idea from being shot down”.

The author breaks down the attack strategies that most people use against new ideas into 4 categories, viz.

• Fear Mongering
• Death by Delay
• Confusion
• Ridicule and Character Assassination

With a very interesting fictional situation, Kotter helps you understand these four strategies better and comes up with a framework called 24 attacks – 24 responses. Unlike most 30k ft Management BS, I found this format extremely convincing & very simple to use.

As they say the book is not a magic wand that will make a 23 year old face a team of senior management honchos. But it certainly makes pitching a scientific process and will eventually help you make better pitches in life. It may be just to convince your wife to let you buy that next big gadget or to convince your boss on your strategy for 2011!

In short, 180 odd pages of no management BS & an absolutely practical approach to present convincing ideas. If you are someone who fancies leading change and has to make pitches (well who doesn’t?) I strongly recommend you grab this.

Let’s not forget a bad idea will remain a bad idea irrespective of how you present it. 🙂