Sandra McCann

Discussing an idea before it's fully baked - If you start out with a general idea and let the conversation flow from there, you benefit from both a broader perspective on where and how that idea impacts the organization, as well as open feedback on ways to either extend or deepen that idea to reach a better end goal.

As an example - I can say 'we need to focus our content on what's important to our customers'. That general idea goes to a wider audience of content developers and the ensuing conversation digs into many other aspects.

- the hows - how do we identify the important content? Is it just by analytical data on website hits? Do we have customer focus sessions? Can we use internal resources closer to the customer to help us define what's important?
- the impact of that change - what happens to the customers who aren't the 80% who fit that important content model? Do we give up on them? Do we instead provide a customer-centric site or forum that enables that 20% customer base with unique needs to collaborate with one another?

etc etc. The broader discussion surfaces issues related to the general direction, issues that enhance or impact the eventual strategy, thus improving the creation of said strategy.

Lastly, by including a broader discussion base, you've created ready-made 'champions' that help others learn about and buy into the overall strategy. That critical 'resistance to change' is lessened by being involved in the hows they whys and the whens involved in creating a new strategy. People feel ownership of the new idea because they helped build it.

I think it's still possible to use Linux as an example. A good storyteller could use the facts involved in Linux success (especially linux kernel with the massive coordination of code committers etc). Then wrap those facts into some kind of analogy that the leadership team could relate to. Whether it is a direct analogy to their own company, or something more generic.