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Charismatic
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- Easily enthralled, but bases decisions on balanced information
- Emphasizes bottom-line results
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- Lee Iacocca
- Herb Kelleher
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- Focus on results
- Make straightforward arguments
- Stress proposal’s benefits with visual aids
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- Diagram your current organization and the problem(s), proposed solution(s), and benefits—especially improved competitiveness
- Explain potential challenges and risk of inaction
- Provide detailed reports for your boss to review postpresentation
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Thinker
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- Toughest to persuade
- Cerebral, logical
- Risk-averse
- Needs extensive detail
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- Present market research, customer surveys, case studies, cost/benefit analyses
- Help your boss understand all perspectives of a given situation
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- Present different options in detail in a face-to-face meeting
- Explain your data-gathering methods
- Present case studies of similar initiatives
- Use a follow-up meeting to fill argument gaps and recommend optimum plan
- Wait weeks, months for your boss’s decision
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Skeptic
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- Challenges every data point
- Decides based on gut feelings
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- Establish credibility ahead of time with your expertise; draw on positive previous work experiences
- Get endorsements from someone your boss trusts
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- Copresent with a trusted colleague
- Emphasize the credibility of your sources of information
- Stroke your boss’s ego (“You’ve probably seen this case study...”)
- Ground your argument in the real world
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Follower
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- Relies on own or others’ past decisions to make current choices
- Late adopter
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- Carly Fiorina
- Peter Coors
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- Use testimonials to prove low risk
- Present innovative, yet proven, solutions
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- Highlight case studies from other industries, but note “We could be the first in our industry to do this.”
- Omit failed real-world examples (although you should have this information available should your boss request it)
- Present multiple options
- Tap your network for references to steer your boss toward your preferred choice; emphasize the option’s affordability, etc.
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Controller
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- Unemotional, analytical
- Abhors uncertainty
- Implements only own ideas
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- Martha Stewart
- Ross Perot
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- Present highly structured arguments
- Make your boss “own” the data
- Avoid aggressive advocacy
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- Over several months, send your boss customer reports, marketing studies, financial projections; give him everything he needs to build your case for you
- Emphasize data highlighting the company’s challenge
- Identify data contradictions, but let your boss analyze them
- Wait for your boss to request a meeting after a significant incident (e.g., a large customer defects)
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