SeaSPIN (Seattle and Eastside Area Software Process Improvement Network) presents Selling Your Ideas to Management

SPIN MEETINGS

Start Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

End Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Start Time: 5:45 PM

Location: Construx Software, 10900 NE 8th St. Suite 1350, Bellevue, WA

ABSTRACT: 

Do you have a problem selling your ideas to management?
Employees do their best to sell their ideas to busy managers. But a typical outcome of the conversation is “No.” or “Let me think about it.” Employees seldom ask and management seldom offers feedback about elements of the selling that worked and those that didn’t.
 
If you could hear managers talking with each other, you would hear them complain about employees who whine; who don’t define the problem; who don’t state the impact of the problem in business terms; who don’t provide an action plan; and who don’t explain why fixing a problem is more important than fixing other problems.
 
Selling ideas is a problem solving activity. Join Steve to learn about three top characteristics of proposals that sell; apply these characteristics to an idea of yours; experience a conversation with management where a proposal is made; and experience the same conversation after hearing feedback and receiving coaching.
Managers are busy. You may only have only one shot to sell your idea. Propose your ideas skillfully so management sees how the idea will benefit the business and, just as importantly, sees you as a leader.
This presentation will benefit both managers and individual contributors, anyone who wants to sell an idea.

SPEAKER

Steven M. Smith (www.stevenMsmith.com) is a management consultant who specializes in helping leaders of technical organizations satisfy customers, manage change, and strengthen teamwork. With more than three decades of experience as a thought leader in technical organizations, he shares his know how through his writing, consulting, and leadership of experiential workshops. He is a founder and host of the annual Amplifying Your Effectiveness (AYE) Conference (www.ayeconference.com), at which he leads experiential workshops. Steven can be reached at steve@stevenMsmith.com.

Quote on the internet about the quality of this presentation at PNSQC 2008...

Steve Smith quite possibly presented the best presentation of the entire event. This topic had little to do with testing, collaboration, or agility. Though, each and every individual attending this presentation walked away with great insight in how to better sell an idea to management (or anyone for that matter).
 
Reference: http://www.mattkowalczyk.com/blog/?p=16

DIRECTIONS

Going North on I-405 toward Bellevue...

   1. Take exit 13B for NE 8th Street.
   2. Take the NE 8th Street West ramp.
   3. Merge onto NE 8th Street.
   4. Turn right onto 110th Avenue. Construx is the building on the left, on the corner of 110th Avenue and NE 8th Street.  10900 NE 8th Street, Suite 1350.
   5. Turn left into the parking lot immediately past the building.

Going South on I-405 toward Bellevue...

   1. Take exit 13B for NE 8th Street.
   2. Take the NE 8th Street West ramp.
   3. Merge onto NE 8th Street.
   4. Turn right onto 110th Avenue.  Construx is the building on the left, on the corner of 110th Avenue and NE 8th Street.  10900 NE 8th Street, Suite 1350.
   5. Turn left into the parking lot immediately past the building.

Website: http://www.seaspin.org

Sponsored by: Software Engineering Institute