Weigh 2 Buy

Weigh in to get buy in. Leaders often confuse compliance with commitment. Compliance is following the rules because you have to. Commitment is about following the rules because you want to. Compliance comes from external forces, commitment comes from internal motivation. Compliance is the acceptance of a decision because there is no choice. Commitment is the vigorous, voluntary support of a decision.
Commitment (Buy In) results when there is an opportunity to get involved in a discussion or decision (Weigh In.) This takes time so it’s often overlooked as a critical step to get everyone “on board.”
Weigh in is the ability for someone to contribute to the conversation. It’s about giving time to process an action or decision. In order to get buy in (commitment to action) here are three considerations:

• Slow Down to Move Quickly – commitment to action requires investing time in dialogue. No one supports actions that they are not involved in. Without support or commitment action will not happen quickly.

• Listen to Understand – you do not need to agree but you do need to encourage dialogue; the ability to contribute to the conversation is essential for buy in. People need to feel that they’ve “been heard” in order to commit to action.

• Set Clear Expectations – make sure that everyone involved in the dialogue is clear on the outcomes and next steps. Unmet expectations dissolve buy in from dialogue.

True commitment comes from buy in. Buy in results when people have a chance to weigh in. Take the time to have dialogue, listen carefully and make sure expectations are clear. Weigh in to get buy in.