A Sure Way to Persuade Your Boss to Accept Your Proposal

By Alison Davis Alison Davis is founder and CEO of Davis & Company. She is the editor of the i-book 49 Ways to Improve Employee Communication (2013) and co-author of the books The Definitive Guide to HR Communication (FT Press, 2011) and Your Attention, Please (Adams Business, 2006). @ alisonbdavis Founder and CEO, Davis & Company @ alisonbdavis

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Does your CEO admire everything Google does? Does your VP's heart beat faster every team he sees an Apple commercial? Does your manager wish your team's innovative efforts were a little more like Nike and a lot less like the Kremlin?

Then you should consider a technique that's been around a long time but still works wonders today. Known sometimes as "benchmarking" (for the formal process), but also as "sharing best practices," the idea is to refer to methods used by leading companies when making a recommendation.

Using best practices is a form of social proof, the psychological phenomenon in which people are influenced by the actions and opinions of others, especially those they admire. If Google or Apple (or whichever company your boss reveres) does something that makes the company successful, then that practice is worth considering to solve a similar problem we have.

Of course, as with any persuasive technique, using best practices takes some finesse. Just because your boss thinks General Electric is a strong company, you can't just mention GE every time you have an idea.

Here are four ways to use best practices to make your case:

1. Look first within your own organization. Especially if you work for a large company, it's likely there are folks somewhere in your world who are trying to tackle the same kinds of problems that keep your boss up at night. These ideas may not be the most innovative, but their major advantage is they are proven to work in your organization.
2. Widen your search. When exploring best practices, don't miss the opportunity of looking beyond the usual suspects (large, well-known, "most admired" companies. For example, I once did a benchmarking study for a medium-sized, growing company. I researched a few big, name-brand organizations, but also talked to other companies the same size and profile of my client. The result? The practices of those lesser-known organizations were actually more applicable.
3. Don't assume one size fits all. Although it's helpful to know how world-class companies do what they do, you can't expect to use their solutions as is. You need to adapt best practice concepts to fit your culture, geography and history.
4. Stay current. Today's best practice is tomorrow's old hat. As external factors (such as technology, company needs and business expectations) change, best practices also evolve. Never stop searching for new innovations and solutions.

Best practices help persuade and they also have another advantage: They expand your thinking. So your recommendations will impress the boss not only because they're based on what leading companies do--they also show how smart you are.