The Decision Is Made. Now What? How to Gain Buy-In for a Tough Call

A leader standing before their team at a whiteboard. The board shows a complex, perhaps difficult, decision tree. The leader is pointing to the chosen path, but their posture is open and they are actively listening to a team member who is speaking.

The decision was made. After weeks of agonising debate, the leadership team had chosen to pivot, sunsetting a legacy product to invest heavily in a new, unproven technology. The data supported the move, the strategy was sound, but now came the hardest part: getting the team on board.

This is a moment every leader knows well. Making the decision is only half the battle. The other half — the crucial half — is implementation. And implementation runs on the fuel of team buy-in. A brilliant strategy executed by a resentful or confused team is destined for failure. A good strategy executed by a committed, aligned team can achieve the impossible.

But how do you gain that buy-in, especially when the decision is tough, unpopular, or involves significant change? The answer lies in shifting your mindset from "announcing a decision" to "leading a transition." It requires the same psychological tools used to de-escalate a crisis, because for many on your team, a major change is a crisis.

This article will show you how to use the Communication Sequence (Negotiation Stairway) as a powerful framework for gaining genuine buy-in for your toughest calls.

The Fallacy of the "Big Reveal"

Many leaders approach the communication of a decision like a big reveal. They gather the team, present the decision as a fait accompli, lay out the logic, and expect everyone to fall in line. This approach is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of human psychology.

When people feel a decision has been done to them, their natural reaction is resistance. They haven't been part of the journey, they haven't wrestled with the alternatives, and they haven't had a chance to voice their concerns. Their emotional response — fear of the unknown, frustration at the lack of control, resentment at being excluded — will drown out even the most compelling logic.

To gain buy-in, you must proactively manage this emotional response. You must walk your team up the Negotiation Stairway, moving them from a state of resistance to one of collaboration.

The Negotiation Stairway: Your Framework for Buy-In

The Communication Sequence, or Negotiation Stairway, is a five-step model for influence. It's the same process I use to move a kidnapper from confrontation to cooperation. For a leader, it's the path to moving your team from resistance to commitment.

Step 1: Active Listening

Your job is not to talk, but to listen. After you have announced the decision, your immediate priority is to create a space for the team to react. You need to understand their concerns, their fears, and their questions. This is not a time for defending your decision. It is a time for information gathering.

Use techniques from the MORE PIES framework:

• Minimal Encouragers: "I see," "Uh-huh," "Go on."
• Open-ended Questions: "What are your initial thoughts?" "What concerns does this raise for you?"
• Effective Pauses: Allow for silence. Let people process and speak without feeling rushed.

Step 2: Empathy

As you listen, your next job is to demonstrate that you understand their perspective. This is the most critical step. Empathy is not about agreement; it's about understanding. Use emotional labels to validate their feelings.

• "It sounds like you're worried about how this will affect your current projects."
• "It seems like there's a lot of frustration about the lack of warning."
• "I get the sense that this feels very abrupt and unsettling."

When your team feels heard and understood, their defensiveness begins to dissolve. You are calming their emotional brain, making space for rational thought.

Step 3: Rapport

As you demonstrate empathy, you build rapport. The feeling in the room shifts from "us vs. them" to "we." The team starts to see you not just as the person who made the decision, but as the person who is navigating the consequences with them. This is the foundation of trust.

Step 4: Influence

Only now, after you have listened, empathised, and built rapport, have you earned the right to influence. This is where you can begin to explain the "why" behind the decision in more detail. You can connect the decision to the larger company vision, address the concerns you heard, and paint a picture of the future you are building together.

Because they now feel understood, they are far more receptive to understanding you.

Step 5: Behavioural Change

Behavioural change is the final step. In this context, it means commitment and action. It's the point where the team moves from passive acceptance to active engagement. You can now start discussing the "how" — the implementation plan, the new roles, the next steps. Because you have brought them along on the emotional journey, they are now ready to join you on the strategic one.

Leading the Transition

I once worked with a CEO who had to announce the closure of a beloved but unprofitable division. It was a brutal decision. Instead of a sterile corporate announcement, she held a series of small group meetings. She started each one by saying, "This was a painful decision, and I know this is going to be incredibly difficult to hear. I am here today primarily to listen to your concerns."

She spent 80% of the time in those meetings just listening, using emotional labels, and validating the team's anger, fear, and sadness. Only after everyone had had their say did she begin to explain the strategic necessity behind the decision. It was a masterclass in leading a transition. The process was still painful, but by walking her team up the Negotiation Stairway, she preserved the trust and respect of her people, even while delivering the toughest of news.

Conclusion: The Decision is Just the Starting Gun

A leader's job doesn't end when a decision is made. In many ways, that's when it truly begins. Gaining buy-in for a tough call is not about having the best argument; it's about having the most empathy. It's about having the discipline to listen before you explain, to understand before you direct.

Next time you have to communicate a difficult decision, don't just make an announcement. Start a conversation. Use the Negotiation Stairway as your guide. Listen, empathise, build rapport, and then — and only then — lead your team forward, together.

Need to align your team around a critical decision?

Successfully implementing a tough call requires a specific skillset. If your leadership team needs support in navigating change and building buy-in, let's connect and discuss how a targeted workshop can help.