Taking the Plunge: Overcoming the Fear of Change

By Heather Rast, Interactive Experience Manager

No doubt, slogging through documentation, review, approvals, and committees to gain acceptance and funding of a proposed initiative (investment!) is a big undertaking.  To survive that trial and then later discover you are no longer aligned with your chosen partner can be overwhelming.  Apprehension.  Fear of exposure.  Performance anxiety.  How do you admit that the decision you made three years ago is no longer a fit?

Savvy executives can mitigate pointed inquiries about their earlier endorsements and recommendations (”Hey, weren’t you the squeaky wheel who made this decision a year ago?”).  The reality is that organizations are continually evolving and misalignment over time can indeed occur.  That’s precisely the time when taking swift and decisive corrective action is most critical.

So if you find your Web site isn’t living up to its full potential or if your competition has aggressive Web strategies in place and you want a top score, we suggest the following:

• 1) Do your homework. Connect with peers, request demonstrations, search for reviews, vet references. Arm yourself with knowledge and be an informed customer.
• 2) Ask the question. Find out the methodology, processes, and operational philosophy of the top partner candidates. How, precisely, do they do their work?
• 3) Set expectations. Establish early in an engagement the level of communication and detail you’re most comfortable with. Respectfully, but firmly, express the manner and frequency in which you expect responses and follow up.
• 4) Honestly assess thresholds. If your duties include Webmaster, media contact, internal communications, and steward of brand identity, recognize your limitations, set reasonable internal expectations, and openly rely on your selected partner to augment your role.
• 5) Collude with innovators. Even if your organization isn’t ready to “do that yet,” recognize the power of innovation and align your organization with forward-thinking partners. These groups will help drive the placement of the bar instead of merely finding a way under it.

If you find yourself considering changing Web vendors, tune in for our Webinar “Secrets of a Successful Switch” on May 8 at 2:00 CT and learn how one marketing director effectively overrode an earlier decision and implemented a successful change.