Selling Your Case for Change
reality? Most importantly, how do you get them bought into this vision so they are inspired to help?
Learn how to craft an inspiring vision, and practice techniques that will allow you to win over even the biggest skeptics by more effectively navigating the objections they throw at you.
About This Course
Selling Your Case for Change spotlights Accelerators 3 + 4 in Kotter’s change framework: Form a Strategic Vision and Communicate for Buy-In. It also includes key elements of the Science of Change – particularly the neuroscience of leading change (our natural Survive and Thrive responses to change) and the core principle of Head + Heart.
Perhaps your change is naturally inspiring or you’ve done a stellar job energizing people around what could be possible in your aspirational future. Lighting that spark is critical to any change effort, but it won’t ensure success on its own. Change that delivers results requires a clear articulation – and understanding – of what the future will look like when the aspiration is realized and a robust strategy for building buy-in.
Why? Absent a compelling case and sufficient buy-in, your change risks losing traction, running out of steam before it gets off the ground, or succumbing to the challenges of critics.
Change requires appealing to both the Head and the Heart. It requires aspiration and action. And to inspire people to act, change leaders (that’s you!) must be conscious of:
- Balancing an inspiring message with a concrete, tangible, and actionable vision
- Creating a sense of clarity that enables people to focus on the most important activities
- Sending signals that calm people’s natural Survive response and activate their Thrive response
- Creating opportunities for people to see themselves in the future state
- Preparing to fend off inevitable objections
Informed by decades of experience and designed by master Kotter instructors, this course utilizes interactive simulations and activities that will challenge your thinking, offer multiple chances to practice your skills, and build your confidence as you prepare to make your case for change.
With the Science of Change and a robust story as your guide, you’ll immediately practice applying what you’ve learned to your specific context, and will leave the course with an Action Plan and tools you can use in changes today and in the future.
Core Content
Who This Course Is For Selling Your Case for Change is for anyone ready to move from initial momentum-building into more concrete execution of change. It is also for those preparing to pitch their change to an unpredictable or challenging audience.
While not required, we recommend completing Foundations of Change prior to taking this course.
6 hours of total learning (including interactive activities, practical exercises, and reflection time).
At the completion of this course, you can expect to:
- Understand how to create a compelling and inspiring vision for how things will be different once the change is implemented.
- Provide clear direction on the actions and efforts needed to encourage early contributions to executing the change.
- Apply a simple model and practical techniques to advance buy-in for the change.
- Increase awareness of the level of buy-in achieved and identify strategies to overcome gaps.
- Develop a comprehensive action plan for setting the vision and gaining buy-in.
Course Outline | Selling Your Case for Change is based on two core content modules:
Module 1. Forming a Strategic Change Vision
While you can build authentic, true urgency around a Big Opportunity, people need to understand what the future should (or could) look like – in terms that are rational, practical, and actionable – to guide their contributions and efforts. In this module, you will learn the elements of an inspiring Change Vision and will practice crafting and applying an effective vision.
Module 2. Enlisting a Volunteer Army to Gain Buy-In
After the Course
Completion Badge
Upon successful completion of this course and your demonstration of understanding of the content, you will receive a verified badge that you can share on LinkedIn, in your email signature, and on your CV. Your badge will be unique to you and will be verified by Credly.
Community Access
Upon completion of Selling Your Case for Change, you will receive a complimentary 6-month subscription to the online Kotter Community, where you can access exclusive content and connect with other Kotter change practitioners, fellow Selling Your Case for Change participants, and Kotter experts.