SELLING THE DREAMUsing everyday evangelism to win people to Knowledge Management

Jason HaughKnowledge Manager

The Ohio State University Medical Center ITjason.haugh@osumc.edu

Part 1 - Introduction to Evangelism

“One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who only have an interest.“

- John Stuart Mill

Are You An Evangelist?

Do you have a passionate desire to make a difference? Do you fearlessly believe in a cause? Do you work for a cause for the intrinsic satisfaction it brings? Do you give up other things to make a commitment? Do you enjoy fighting the mediocre, the mundane, and the

status quo? Do you get accused of being driven, showing chutzpah or

having more guts than brains? Does your spouse threaten to leave you? (To see if you can be an evangelist, change "do" to "can")

Evangelism Defined

Webster's definition: "Any zealous effort in spreading the word for a cause."

Evangelism is the process of selling a dream. This means transforming a vision into a cause and getting people to share that cause in order to make lasting change.

Difference between evangelism and sales: Evangelism is sharing more than personal gain Evangelism yields long-lasting and dramatic changes Evangelism sustains itself Evangelism grows

The key to everyday evangelism is believing that your cause is important and sharing that belief.

The Building Blocks of Evangelism

A Leader

The Building Blocks of Evangelism

A Leader Believes in the vision - cannot imagine doing anything else Understands the vision - knows why it must come to be Believes in people - believes followers can bring stone to life and

accomplish world-changing results Sets an inspiring example - withstands long and difficult battles,

fosters collaborative efforts, shows composure in difficult times and remains humble in victory

Shares the cause - lets others help to shape it. This allows ownership and empowerment

Enables others to continue after (s)he's gone Training people Documenting procedures and practices Encouraging the growth of members

The Building Blocks of Evangelism

Angels

The Building Blocks of Evangelism

Angels People who share your vision and provide wings - emotional support,

expert advise and perhaps money Good angels are hard to find - usually busy with other causes Boardrooms of successful companies and among retired executives Look for people who are:

Pure - personal satisfaction of helping a cause Experienced - have built organizations allowing them to avoid repeating

mistakes Realistic - can assess what can be accomplished and have understanding

of what is desirable and possible for your organization Outspoken - dare to confront - even create conflict - to prevent cause

from going astray Connected - influential and powerful friends to cut through bureaucracy

and gain credibility

The Building Blocks of Evangelism

Evangelists

The Building Blocks of Evangelism

Evangelists People who come, see, believe and conquer They have four qualities:

Called, not driven - they believe and then set out to further the cause

Committed - they find it fun. They are so committed they can illuminate a room with their faith

People the multitudes will follow - don't need charisma or magnetic personalities. They need steadfast faith in the cause. This faith imparts a glow and forcefulness that attracts others.

Teachable - they are open to anything that will increase their effectiveness

The Building Blocks of Evangelism

Enemies

The Building Blocks of Evangelism

Enemies Optional but desirable because they provide a focal point

for a cause More fun to try to defeat bad than do good Two kinds:

Conceptual - forces like ignorance, inertia or inflexibility. More important and defeating them is more rewarding and permanent.

Tactical - companies, organizations or people. Easier to defeat but short-lasting.

Part 2 – Becoming an Evangelist

“Thunder is good, thunder is impressive, but it is the lightning that does the work.” – Mark Twain

Discovering Your Cause

Starting point for all evangelism - the “Wow” Causes do five things:

Embody a vision Make people better Generate big effects Catalyze selfless actions Polarize people

Why people join causes: To do the right thing To feel good about something To contribute to society To prove themselves To join a social group To enrich their lives

Planning Your Evangelism

Define Your Mission – “Why” Good mission statements have three qualities

Short - Brief and simple statements are easy to understand and remember

Flexible - flexible mission statements last a long time Distinctive - differentiate your cause from other organizations with

similar missions The longer the mission statement, the more likely the organization

will fail.

“Anyone can find Anything from Anywhere at Anytime.”

Planning Your Evangelism

Establish Objectives – “What” Two kinds:

Quantitative - measureable Qualitative - not as specific to measure

Good objectives have four qualities: Challenging - require a struggle to achieve Few in number - no more than 4 or 5 to avoid diffusion

of effort Inspiring - motivate, excite and stimulate Stable - remain the same for about two years

Planning Your Evangelism

Devise Strategies – “How” Good strategies exhibit four qualities:

Connected - directly linked to objectives and clearly explain how to accomplish specific things

Active - lead to action. Practical ways of getting things done

Pragmatic - practical within limits of your organization Flexible - change frequently as conditions change

Campaigning For Your Cause

Power to the People - Grass roots movements may be more effective than top-down Win the hearts & minds

Preparation Elevator Speech

30-seconds to explain KM vision Always explain how it will benefit people, how it will make lives easier

Team-Meeting Speech 10-15 minutes to outline KM vision and benefits Lots of white space - ditch the charts & graphs Balance clarity with pizzazz - have as much sizzle as culture allows

Leadership Speech 10-15 minutes to outline KM vision, strategy and deliverables Effective charts & graphs Always tie in KM to organization goals. What Knowledge is important or crucial for

organization to reach its goals? What value do customers expect?

Campaigning For Your Cause

Practice Write out what you would say Think of potential questions/objections Explain it to your family Talk to the mirror Develop during drive-time

Campaigning For Your Cause

Present Create conversation-generating questions: “You ever…?” Ask to get on team-meeting agendas Write newsletter articles Submit articles to local periodicals