Elevator Pitch
“Resisting change is like holding your breath.”
It’s cliché to say that people are resistant to change … or say that change is a threat. Slightly less cliché (but arguably more accurate) to say that people are resistant to change that they don’t shape themselves. For the D (Desire) phase of ADKAR, your ensemble should form an Elevator Pitch. The Elevator Pitch is meant to be authentically positive about the change - any combination of being explanatory, defending, compelling, persuasive, upbeat, and enthusiastic in the message. The Elevator Pitch conveys only mission, passion, and purpose. The Elevator Pitch can ignore cost, accountability, and caution.
The Elevator Pitch aims to be 1-3 sentences, each sentence more audacious than the previous one.
The Elevator Pitch is the team’s response when their relatives around the Thanksgiving table ask about their work. The Elevator Pitch is the response when a team member rides up the elevator with the CEO. The Elevator Pitch is your response when a ten-year-old innocently asks you about your job.
The Elevator Pitch is the romance in your organization’s “Why.” It is the reason why others ask you about the project every time they see you. It is a primary reason why you stay in the organization, because even when people are flawed, the mission is not.
While your Elevator Pitch conveys breath-taking value, it avoids any hint of money or materialism. Your elevator pitch hints of:
Health
Security / Prosperity
Safety / Peace / Freedom
Pleasure
Knowledge / Learning / Wisdom
Community / Family
Advancement
Adventure
Convenience
Examples of organizations’ Elevator Pitches …
“We build health care devices that improve long-term hospital stays.”
“We create videos of your family and friends to memorialize the most special occasions in your life.”
“We provide coaching for entrepreneurs to optimize their dreams.”
There is a time and place to brag about your innovation and healthy change. The Elevator Pitch is it!
Upstream Assets: Project Charter, Awareness Blast
Downstream Assets: Training Approach