• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Sources of Insight

Better Insights, Better Results

  • Articles
  • Books
  • Courses
  • Topics
    • Personal Development
    • Leadership
    • Productivity
    • Personal Effectiveness
    • Emotional Intelligence
    • Mental Health
    • All Topics
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact

How To Build a Coalition of the Willing

by JD

image

“You cannot reason people out of a position that they did not reason themselves into.” — Ben Goldacre

You can build a better coalition with skill if you know the Coalition-Building Cycle.

The Coalition-Building Cycle is the key to building a support network and it helps you build momentum with your support network.

In The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, Michael Watkins writes about the Coalition-Building Cycle.

The Coalition-Building Cycle at a Glance

Watkins provides a visual of the coalition-building cycle:

CoallitionBuildingCycle

The Coalition-Building Cycle Explained

Watkins outlines the key steps in the coalition-building cycle:

  1. Gaining allies helps you recruit others.
  2. Recruiting others increases your resource base.
  3. Increasing your resource base, increase the likelihood of your agenda’s success.
  4. Increasing the likelihood of your agenda’s success, helps you further in gaining allies.

Persuade Convincibles to Become Supporters

Persuade potential supporters that are on the line to support you before they tip the wrong way.

Watkins writes:

“Coalition building entails consolidating existing sources of support while developing relationships with those whose resources or connections you need to succeed. 

The sequence in which you consolidate and build support is key.  You will also need to persuade Convincibles to become supporters rather than opponents.”

Keep Your Allies Up To Date

Don’t take your existing support network for granted.  Connect early and often to reestablish support and to help address concerns.

Watkins writes:

“To consolidate existing support, call on established social and political relationships and strengthen them through regular conversations  Make sure you keep your allies up to date. 

Pay attention to how they react to changing conditions.  You can even provide them with advice on how to counter opponent’s arguments.  You want to affirm the importance of existing relationships and leverage them into support for your new effort.”

Key Take Aways

Here are my key take aways:

  • Build momentum by gaining allies.
  • Turn Convincibles into Supporters before they become opponents.
  • Strengthen your existing support through regular conversations.
  • Provide advice on how to counter opponent’s arguments.

You Might Also Like

Sequencing to Build Momentum

Overcoming Resistance with Entanglement Strategies

Putting Good Ideas in Place

Political Competence

Counter-Coalitions

Category: Book Nuggets, Effectiveness, Leadership, Personal EffectivenessTag: Books, Effectiveness

About JD

Previous Post:You Can Travel the Road of Success
Next Post:Testing for Expert JudgmentTesting for Expert Judgment

Sidebar

About the Author

JDI am J.D. Meier. Join me on a quest for the world's best insights and actions for work and life. Learn more...

My Best-Selling Book

This is the book that changes lives ...

Become a Better You with Skill!

Learn better skills for work and life. Stand on the shoulders of giants and awaken your greatness. Realize your human potential through the world’s best insights and actions for mind, body, emotions, career, finance, relationships, and fun.

Features

  • Book Summaries
  • Books I Recommend
  • Great Lessons Learned
  • Great Quotes
  • How Tos
  • Lists
  • Best Products

My Other Sites

JD Meier.com
Getting Results.com

Copyright © 2023 · Sources of Insight · All Rights Reserved