Why Is It Important To Get Consensus From Your Leadership?

I know it seems odd that I would be writing a blog post about sports, those usually come from Scott or Alison.

If you follow college sports at all, or just simply listen to the evening news, you know that there has been a tremendous shift happening with universities making decisions to move to a new conference over the next couple years.

As a proud alumnus of Arizona State University, I have cheered on the Sun Devils against their PAC10/PAC12 rivals for more than 40 years.  I’ll still be cheering, but the teams they play against will be very different.

I understand that football and basketball are big money makers for universities.  Between the TV and radio contracts, sponsorships and ticket sales, these sports bring in big dollars.  Decisions like this don’t happen quickly, they take months to negotiate.

But you know what does happen quickly?  The reaction to the news once it is made public.  For as many people that are excited about the new possibilities for their team, there are others that are disappointed, upset, angry and concerned.  From student athletes that participate in non-revenue generating sports, to coaches, administrators, parents and, of course, the fans.

It would be virtually impossible to get everyone on board with every decision a big organization has to make. Not everyone will agree, but working toward consensus is just as important as making the deal itself.

The decision is made. But how the universities manage communications with their internal audiences as well as their sponsors and fans will play out for quite a while.

Whether you are a university president or a small business start-up, consensus-building and effectively communicating your messages are a must.  Let’s talk more about it.