Nemawashi is a technique for getting people on board with an idea before going through a formal approval process. In other words, "don't call the vote unless you have the votes." This perfectly describes one of the more successful techniques in affecting change I've encountered.
Traditionally used in the context of proposing big changes or projects, I believe there can be value in applying nemawashi at any scale. Even changes that only affect your immediate team may meet resistance and would have greatly benefited from an informal nemawashi process.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is that they write up their ideas or proposals alone or in a small group and release their raw proposal into the wild. Feedback comes in, much of it bringing up important concerns, gaps, and challenges that should have been addressed. The author(s) feel disheartened and either get so discouraged as to drop the proposal, or go back and try to fix it in private, only to release it again and get a new round of critical feedback. Nemawashi is a way to avoid all this malarky.
Consider the following benefits:
- Early improvement to the proposal. The first draft usually feels like a first draft. There are assumptions made that gloss over key details. Some pieces of information are misleading. Some statements may be outright incorrect. By discussing the idea beforehand, certain rough or hazy spots in the proposal can be solidified and ironed out. Valuable insights can be gained. If your idea goes "public" with these "low hanging mistakes" highly visible, you and your idea will lose credibility.
- Increased support and reduced resistance. If there are any concerns or objections to some or all of your idea, it's good to know early and address those head on. It may be impossible to remove all friction, but the more that can be removed, the better. By soliciting and accepting feedback, stakeholders begin to feel a sense of ownership and will be more invested in the overall success of the idea.
- Relationship building. Open communication and collaboration is the foundation for healthy relationships. It leads to a sense of shared purpose and support. Stakeholders already familiar with the idea will tend to be more cooperative. Stakeholders left out may feel adversarial against your idea; this is especially important to avoid if there are power imbalances at play.
Basic Nemawashi Playbook
This will change from company to company and team to team, but in general nemawashi requires having 1:1 access to most (preferably all) stakeholders.
Step 0: Have a plan, idea, or proposal
You need something to support. It's generally helpful if it's recorded somewhere and shareable. Be clear on the problem that needs to be solved, the overall solution proposed, and any benefits and concerns you foresee. Be as transparent as possible. Information hiding here is not your friend.
Step 1: Identify and prioritize the stakeholders
- Identify individuals who will be affected by your idea. If an entire team is affected, choose one or two representatives from that team.
- Identify individuals that have decision-making power over your idea.
- Prioritize stakeholders on who would be most useful to talk to first. Consider: influence (how successful is this person at advocating for themselves and others?), potential resistance (has this person expressed disagreement for similar ideas in the past?), ability to support your idea, and closeness (stakeholders you're already familiar with are a source of honesty).
- Be open to stakeholders recommending additional individuals to get buy-in from outside of your original list.
Step 2: Talk to the stakeholders 1:1
- Prepare your pitch. Depending on how close a working relationship you have, the pitch can be as informal as "hey I have an idea on X, let me know what you think" and a link to a Google doc.
- Be clear that you're looking for feedback with the end goal of getting their buy-in for the idea. Ask about their objections and take those objections seriously.
- Avoid being defensive. Be open and understanding of their points of view. Answer questions, take notes, and adapt your idea. For items that require more thought, set the expectation that you will follow up.
Step 3: Iterate on improvements, keeping stakeholders in the loop
- If you go through the trouble of getting buy-in, you need to go through the trouble of closing the feedback loop by taking feedback seriously and following up with individuals who had issues with an earlier version of your idea.
- 100% agreement is usually impossible. For pieces of feedback that you simply cannot incorporate, pay homage to the feedback as much as possible in other ways. For pieces of feedback that are in conflict, try to uncover why such a conflict exists — there is likely a key misunderstanding or hidden truth on your part or the part of the stakeholders.
- Identify the most and least supportive stakeholders. Gauge consensus.
Step 4: Make your proposal public
- If support is "strong enough," start the formal proposal process.
- If support is weak, it may be for a variety of reasons: wrong time, wrong people, wrong solution. The information you have now will be much more than what you had at the beginning, so you should have an idea why support is low. Remember, it's perfectly fine to put an idea on ice or to drop it completely. Move on to the next idea.
Step 5: Take the W or L
Nemawashi does not guarantee your idea will be approved, but it does improve your odds significantly. And regardless of the outcome, you've built relationships, improved your proposal, and learned something about the people and systems you're working within.
Nemawashi can also provide a path for an individual with a weaker or different power position to influence "above" their level. For example, by getting the support of someone with high expert power early, individuals with high referent power may feel more comfortable advocating for your idea.