John C.

When a lead goes silent after we've already had at least initial conversations, I like to utilize the Chris Voss initiated "magic email." Its simple and direct and has a high response rate. The goal is to generate a "no" response from the lead. That may sound opposite of what you want, but here is what that looks like. "Did we want to cancel implementation by January?" "Are you walking away from this deal?" Keep the message simple and direct. The more added elements you include the messier it gets. When you ask a client to take the responsibility then more often than not, they will at least respond. This gives you the freedom to either move on or move to the next step.

Our word choices are so important to the message we want to convey. Practice swapping out words like, "but", and "however" and look to make greater use of the word "and." What this does is allow room for including previous comments in the solution that you are proposing. Its a small change but can have lasting impact.

I think a first step is always self-reflection. Do I have the proper authority in this situation? Sometimes we may have overstepped our authority. Then check and see if the challenge is appropriate or not. We should ask a confidant or mentor for an outside perspective. If we conclude we are in the right, then there are separate steps to take to resolve the situation.

Do we agree on what clear success looks like? That is our starting point. From there we work backwards till we settle on a few elements that we can gain information on. These might look like: 1) number of people served 2) number of volunteers 3) amount of services rendered 4) do we get exit feedback from stakeholders 5) time and efficiency.

Diversity can be a major strength of a team when it comes to brainstorming and problem solving. Once the team hashes out the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches we have to unify behind a common approach. To be a true team, we have to agree to struggle hard in the brainstorming, but we come together and unify once a decision has been made. Like the boat team analogy, we have to all be rowing together to achieve the best possible outcome.

1) Remind the team that donor stewardship is critical to sustaining the organization’s mission. Anchor your discussions on this shared goal. Ask: How can our stewardship efforts best serve our mission and our donors? 2) While strategies might differ, the overall goal—building stronger donor relationships—is shared. Find areas of agreement, such as: Improving donor retention Showing appreciation Growing donor engagement Focus on these shared objectives to create a sense of unity. 3) Encourage team members to take ownership of the solution by assigning roles and responsibilities. When people feel their contribution is essential, they’re more likely to unite toward the common goal.