Change Foe to Friend

Imagine how you would feel if someone suddenly appeared in your office and said, “Hi. I’m from the IRS and I’m here to help you.” Your likely reaction–suspicion, fear, resistance– is similar to what anyone who works in an external or internal advisory role faces. 
Insiders think…
Is my job at risk?
Why do we even need these third parties?
Is this a cover to spy on me?
How could they possibly know more than I do?
What’s really going on here?
If you are that support person, how do you explain your legitimacy? How do you communicate your added value to their situation? How do you win trust?
Not Now. Later.
Roberta H. is Executive Director of Volunteers for one of the nation’s largest non-profits and faces those challenges every day.  With her thousands of volunteers, her mission is to support new strategy initiatives.  Her goal is to be called in early by the various senior executives of