You can’t outsource buy-in

You can’t outsource buy-in

One factor consistent with all of my most successful projects is that there is strong buy-in from staff. That is, the staff works very diligently to ensure the success of the project. They allocate the needed time, they learn what they need to know to be successful, and they execute on that.

The least successful projects are those where the organization feels they can "outsource" buy-in by having an external party serve as project manager and expect all of the work to be done by outside parties. As I like to point out to my clients, at some point, I get to leave and management of the system will be entirely on the organization. So staff needs to be working alongside the consultants so they know the system when the consultants leave.

You can't outsource buy-in. Staff needs to be invested from day one.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Spring cleaning, all year long

July 8, 2026

Spring cleaning, all year long I talk frequently about “weeding the garden,” the idea that proactively […]

Don’t fall into the arrival fallacy trap

July 1, 2026

Don’t fall into the arrival fallacy trap The arrival fallacy is the false belief that […]

“The first time it lies to me is the last time I’ll use it.”

June 17, 2026

“The first time it lies to me is the last time I’ll use it.” Over […]

Improvement is never linear

June 10, 2026

Improvement is never linear One of the many lessons one learns over a lifetime is […]

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture!

June 3, 2026

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture! Whenever I start on a big home clean […]

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?

May 27, 2026

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish? Two quick customer service stories to illustrate […]

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you

May 20, 2026

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you I’ve been working […]

Using AI beyond content generation

May 13, 2026

Using AI beyond content generation Recent surveys by ASAE and others suggest nearly 90% of associations […]

If you’re training, PLEASE do this…

May 6, 2026

If you’re training, PLEASE do this… If you’re doing any kind of software training, or […]

Don’t confuse motion with improvement

April 29, 2026

Don’t confuse motion with improvement I wrote recently how action can produce information. But an […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top