Whether we're asked to adjust a process, redefine objectives, or restructure a team, the ability to manage changes will serve us better than hard skills in the topic.

I've found Kotter's 8-step change model a good guidance to implement changes. However, I'd like to add two ideas.

Building a case for change can involve both objective and emotional arguments, such as:

• Cost-benefit analysis
• Success stories
• Enable organisation's strategy
• Solve frustrations
• Leverage pride

The ability to make changes also depends on the ability to convince or influence others. In this area, I suggest working at both the group and the individual levels, with appropriate techniques. For example, the people we can convince with a formal presentation are very different from the people we can convince with an informal face-to-face conversation. The message that we want to convey also conditions the technique.

The "techniques" include:

• Formal presentation, larger audience and limited interactions
• Meeting with a few people, open discussion
• Spontaneous face-to-face discussion
• Discussion over lunch or coffee
• Email

It is a good idea to meet with sceptics individually, as it may help to better address their concerns in order to bring them on board. Similarly it's a good idea to include a champion (convinced person) in a meeting with people who are not yet convinced.

Just look back at your own experience to identify a situation when you were able to convince people to buy in your idea. You can guess which techniques were effective. Most of us use these "techniques" unconsciously. Great influencers naturally mix and match the techniques for great results. If you have such a person around you, try learning from him/her – it's the best way to improve this skill. Have also a look at the related topic of stakeholders management.