Chapter 21 BUILD A BUSINESS CASE
By this stage in your FYT project, you are very aware of the drivers behind the team dysfunction and what you are going to do to address it. Your colleagues — including those with authority whose affirmation you may need to proceed — have some catching up to do. They need to understand why the investment of time and resources is warranted.
SOCIALISE THE ISSUE FIRST
Before you formalise any request for approval and resources, socialise the issue with people who need to buy into the plan. Make sure your own manager knows what’s coming and has had an opportunity to give their own input. They will have another level of understanding of the organisational politics, how your proposal will be heard by the powers-that-be and how to effect real change in this organisation. They may be able to add a level of sophistication as well as gravitas to your plan.
What you know about your manager will assist you to work out how you seek the manager’s support. Is your manager someone who will need to participate in the decision to choose the Fix, so they can ‘own’ the decision? Is this the type of person who will want a one-page brief explaining the reasons why, with a business case? Alternatively, will an indirect and staged approach be more successful, talking with the manager about the problem over a period of time? You’ll know, as someone who knows the manager and the team’s recent history, how best to approach them so you are most likely to get a hearing. ...
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