Trying to work with someone that you haven’t enrolled into your idea or endeavor is like trying to put a sock on someone who is fighting you. We’ve all been with the reluctant and at times truculent partner. It is a miserable process. Every step you take, every idea you offer, every moment of collaboration is resisted, denied, or squandered.
At this point, you have the option to steamroll the other, give up, or to slow down and start from square one. Square one being the point where you jointly establish your desire to work together to produce a particular result. Don’t bypass this important step. Motivation, initiative, and effectiveness require that each person experience the agency and choice to say yes or no to the endeavor.
Ask yourself do I have the other’s agreement and license to pursue this endeavor? Did I push, cajole, force, or threaten them into it? Did I avoid a potentially uncomfortable conversation and just barrel on with what I hoped they’d agree to? Do they understand why this endeavor is important? What is the best way to get them on board? Have I given them the opportunity to say "no"?
Pushing forward without addressing the resistance will usually result in lost time and more frustration. Communication. Communication. Communication. Slow down, communicate, and watch your results change.
To Communication
