Linda Rising talks about patterns for introducing new ideas to an organisation. One of the patterns that I often use is the ‘Corridor Politics’. Although I don’t like the name of the pattern, it’s one of the really useful techniques I have come across.

“Informally work on decision makers and key influencers before an important vote to make sure they fully understand the consequences of the decision.”

For some decisions, you can improve the chances of getting the result you are looking for if you talk to and align with key people prior to the joint meeting. Whilst this might seem manipulative, there are lots of factors involved in decision-making and often group dynamics are very different to one-to-one interactions. Addressing individual concerns upfront increases the chances of success on the decision day. The worst outcome is when a misconception about the proposal is aired and it can be difficult to address this when there are other senior people there.

Office politics can be silly sometimes, so best to avoid it by reducing the risk of this derailing your initiative by catching it and mitigating early.Senior decision makers want to feel like they have been consulted and included in the process of decision making, that’s why this change management pattern works well. It’s a good way of drawing in otherswho can influence the decision. If the idea isn’t going to get traction, it’s better to find out earlier and adjust.