Hey - it’s Tom.

Welcome to this week’s Tactical Tuesday edition of Ctrl+Shift, where we give you quick, no-bullshit tactics to overcome real business challenges.

Est. time to implement: 30 minutes.

The Pre-Purchase Huddle

This is a short, sharp 30-minute meeting with 3-5 of your most affected team members. You run it before signing the contract for any significant new technology. Its entire purpose is to replace a top-down decree with a collaborative diagnosis, surfacing the real-world roadblocks and opportunities you can't see from your leadership position.

It’s a follow up to one of our previous editions “Overcome team resistance to new tools in 10 minutes with this 3-step script”.

Note from Tom: I once signed off on a beautiful $20,000 CRM system that I was convinced would solve all our problems. I even paid a consultant to help us set it up. Within a month, the team was quietly back to using their old spreadsheets. The software wasn't the problem - my top-down decree was. I had presented a "perfect solution" without ever understanding the on-the-ground reality. That expensive lesson is why I now use this simple huddle with every client. It costs 30 minutes, and it saves thousands by ensuring the team is a part of the decision, not a victim of it.

1. Schedule the "Input & Insights" Meeting

Invite the 3-5 people who will be most impacted. Don't just invite the enthusiasts; make sure you include the skeptic, the power user of the current system, and the team member who is always busiest. Title the meeting something like: "Input & Insights on Solving [Problem X]". This frames it as a collaborative session, not a lecture.

2. Run the 3-Question Agenda

Get straight to the point. This meeting has one goal: to gather intelligence. After a brief intro, ask these three questions and focus on listening:

• Question 1: "The Goal & The Tool" "The goal is to solve [Problem X, e.g., 'our slow lead follow-up']. We're considering buying [Tool Y] to do it. From your perspective, what are the immediate red flags or potential roadblocks you see with implementing something like this?"

• Question 2: "The Success Question" "Now, imagine this rollout is incredibly successful six months from now. It's saved you time and made your job easier. What specific support, training, or resources did we give you during the process to make it such a success?"

• Question 3: "The Champion Question" "Looking at our current team, who is best suited to become a 'power user' or a go-to champion to help their colleagues with this change?"

3. Close the Loop Within 48 Hours

The worst thing you can do is ask for input and then go silent. After the huddle, review the feedback and make your final decision. Then, send a brief email to the group thanking them for their input and announcing the path forward.

For example: "Thanks for your valuable input on Tuesday. Based on your feedback about needing better training resources, we've decided to move forward with [Tool Y], and we'll be building out the video SOPs you suggested. We'll be asking [Champion's Name] to help us lead the charge."

This simple meeting is a 30-minute insurance policy against failed software adoption. You trade half an hour to de-risk a five-figure investment and turn your team from potential resistors into engaged partners.

That’s it for this edition, see you on Freedom Friday!

Cheers,

Tom