Someone got mad at me today at work, and I was glad. I knew instantly that it was an opportunity to gain credibility and trust, to gain an ally for something I'm doing at work.
Let's call her Linda. I've been developing a computer program. Linda was at a meeting a few weeks ago in which we voted to take the program a certain direction. Later, I had to change the strategy. She found out about this today and was furious. She sent an e-mail to a variety of people at her plant site saying that she could no longer support the use of the program because of this change.
Someone else at the plant called to warn me about Linda's e-mail. He was worried about my reaction.
Not to worry. I knew that I had no choice except to change the program. So I sent Linda an Instant Message asking for a chance to talk. I hate conflict, but I was looking forward to this. Linda doesn't know me well. I'm not even sure we've been introduced. I'm higher ranking in the organization. I felt as if I couldn't lose. She'd appreciate me taking her feedback very seriously and taking the time to explain why I had to change the program.
I spent 45 minutes showing her the program changes. I kept telling myself to project how much I valued her input as an end user of the system and to project that it was worth my while to spend all that time with her one on one to make sure she understood the approach and was aligned.
I'm sure it worked. I've gained an ally on the front lines at this site, someone who'll persuade others that the program is worth using. It was worth every minute of my time.
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