This is the last in a five part series in an interview with Matt Ronge, CEO, Astropad: an extension of our April 20th webinar hosted by Modern Logic and Lighter Capital.
Pivoting is common, but that doesn’t make it an easy process. Beyond the intense research needed to make the process successful, you may face the challenge of a resistant team. Matt Ronge, CEO at Astropad, suggests these five tips to CEOs who are preparing to share plans for pivoting with their team.
Expect Pushback
“As humans in general, we don’t like change- especially if you’re comfortable with the way things are. The unknown is scary. You’re going to have some people that are gung ho for it and some people that are skeptical. That’s to be expected.”
Go One-on-One
“It’s important to talk to people one on one and in small groups rather than just make announcements to your group as a whole.”
Be Open
“If someone’s resistant and doesn’t agree, you should talk to them to understand their concerns. Be transparent and honest with them. Some of their concerns might be valid!”
Acknowledge Risk
“Acknowledge the risk and explain how we might mitigate the risk, or why the potential payoff is bigger than the risk. Don’t say that everything’s going to be grand and there will be no bumps along the way. Talk about what you can do together to get over the bumps.”
Agree to Disagree
“You might eventually get to a point where you just don’t agree. That’s OK. At least you’ve still heard them out. Hearing them, rather than just bulldozing them, matters for trust on the team.”
This article is Part 5 in our Thought Leadership series with Matt Ronge from Astropad. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us, Matt!