The word “advocacy” is very dependent on the setting you’re in. Employee advocacy, for example, is very “buzzy” inside the walls of Companies large and small. Advocacy in every sense has to start with a buy-in of some sort—a worthy identifier to which people can latch on. Innovation inherently requires advocacy, because how else are you going to get an idea through? People need to believe in the idea, and they need to believe in you. In my job at Southwest Airlines, I am always tinkering with our current offering and exploring the future; “what could be.” When it comes to removing the barriers between an idea and achieving buy-in, one of the approaches I use is to always show up extremely vulnerable. If I have something cool and new, there are few things I can explain about that idea except that in its current state, it’s wrong. Most ideas need extra eyes and expertise to breathe life into them and make them a reality. By being vulnerable, it allows others to show up vulnerable as well. Remember, you are often selling a half-baked idea into a room full of skilled chefs. Your objective is to convince the chefs your menu is the right one. Regardless your preferred method of achieving success, you’ll know you’re making progress when you start seeing movement toward business results and achieving your objectives. When your chefs are starting to be asked to join other kitchens within the company—that’s when your innovation advocacy will really start to tick. Be a life-giving part of the organization; not a life-stealing part of the organization. If you’re in Austin for the conference, come visit the panel I’m on discussing The Culture of Advocacy:
- Monday, March 16 from 12:30pm – 1:30pm
- JW Marriott
- Salon 1
- 110 E. 2nd St.