When you go bowling, you want to land a strike. But do you actually aim to hit every single one of the bowling pins? No. You are aiming for the kingpin because you know that if you get the kingpin, you’ve got the rest of them.
That is the same strategy used by Bill Bratton in 1984 as the Police Commissioner of the New York Police Department. See, at that time, New York was considered one of the most dangerous and large cities in North America. Bratton had a budget of two billion dollars and a police force of 35,000 officers. And the mandate was no small mandate. Not only was he asked to reduce corruption, increase job satisfaction, improve performance for these police officers but he was also tasked to create a culture where the brand emerged in a way that the public could trust the police department.
What Bill did is exactly what we talked about, aiming for the kingpin(s). He did not aim to engage every single of those 35,000 police officers directly. Instead, he worked with a few people to identify people within this organization that had disproportionate power and influence. He looked for police officers that were respected, that were heard, and that were followed.
How do you know that somebody had that type of power and influence? When I ask you and invite you to think about who are the power holders in your organization? Such that is you only had to talk to 2% of the people that you’re trying to impact with your change, who would those people be? And don’t filter your thoughts. The names that pop up in your head are there for a reason.
There are many reasons why somebody could have immense power beyond the scope of their title
And the most amazing one is when you have developed relationships where you carried yourself in a way that others grow to look up to you. For no other reason, except that they respect you. These are the individuals that are worth identifying and focusing on when designing change efforts.
So, if we’re to follow the same lead as Bill Bratton, instead of trying to aim every single person in the organization, worked with the key influencers.
Ready for Change?
I’ve recorded a video highlighting three tactics to build your resilience as you persevere through continuous and multiple changes in your life and at work.
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