Building and maintaining successful HR initiatives can be challenging without support from the overall organization and leadership. HR professionals need stakeholders to listen, understand, and support their views before any initiative can get off the ground. Getting buy-in does not mean 100% agreement with a plan or initiative; rather, it’s receiving the support of key team members or stakeholders—even if they don’t wholly agree. HR professionals will spearhead a myriad of initiatives for an organization. Here are general strategies HR professionals should consider when they pursue a new idea but face roadblocks within the organization.

Lead with a clear vision.

A well-defined vision demonstrates confidence in the proposed idea. Developing a clear vision involves identifying the problem, providing examples of the proposed solution, leaning on data and metrics to substantiate the solution, and considering potential risks associated with the plan. 

Align with business goals.

An initiative is more likely to gain support if aligned with business goals, core values and other companywide efforts.

Leverage metrics and data.

Harness the power of HR data to help prove the need for an initiative and demonstrate ways that others have experienced success. Facts and figures don’t lie, so HR professionals can use data to prove their points.

Calculate the return on investment (ROI).

ROI is often the ultimate measurement tool and the key piece of information stakeholders are interested in. Many organizational leaders understand and relate to ROI, and including this information can help validate the proposed initiative.