Cowboys use this tactic when they have to remove a sick animal or one that needs to be branded from the herd. In college, we also called it cutting the herd, but it had more to do with dating and luring that one girl away from her pack in order to communicate with her without the distraction (or influences) of her girlfriends. Crude as it may sound, it was often necessary in the courtship process. I successfully cut my wife from the herd 15+ years ago and it seems to have worked out for both of us (yet, I can only speak for myself I guess).
The process of cutting the herd goes beyond sick cattle or the need to get a phone number from a girl.
A friend of mine was putting together a huge proposal for the big important “yes sayers” in his company. This proposal would potentially change much of the way his company conducted business and this change would go against much of the grain of the company. In order for companies to grow, they often need to change, explore and evolve. In any competitive situation, if you don’t stay open minded, your competitors will. While you are staying the course, they are looking for new ways to take business away from you. His company had been doing things successfully and the same way for over ten years, and to his knowledge, this was the first proposed push against the way things have always been done. For my friend and possibly the company, this was uncharted territory.
When it comes to convincing a group of people to change, you have to go about it much like the cowboys do when cutting a cow from the herd. You cannot come at the group with a flat platform of ideas or changes and expect everyone to come to a group consensus that this is a great thing for the company. Although many or most members of the group are like-minded, each individual in that group is different. The trigger points for each is different. They don’t all care about the same things. The usually carry different titles within the company and hold the things that they are responsible for in higher regard than all of the other departments. They all have different concerns and their egos are all different. You can’t just make one statement (unless you are THAT good) that has them all eating out of your hand and ready to sign up for whatever you’re selling. Getting buy in from the group will take cutting tactics.
Using another example from the “Murphy Ranch”, sheep tend to all follow a leader. If you can steer or lure that lead ram (or bellwether) in the right direction, everyone will follow. Also, keep in mind, If you scare sheep away from a watering hole (your idea) they will never return, no matter how thirsty.
For my friend, he works at the company he is trying to convince to make a change. He has the advantage of most likely knowing who the one or two individuals are that he needs to win over in order to swing the group. Remember, you’re not initially after the POPULAR vote, you are after the IMPORTANT vote. By getting the right person on board with your plan, that individual will do the rest of the corralling for you. Identify the important person or people that you need to convince. Find what appeals to them and craft much of your message to reflect their concerns and trigger points. Stroke their ego where you can. If you know them well enough, use their words against them. If you have the opportunity to use one of their quotes in your speech or presentation, do it. Nothing gets people’s attention better than when you care enough to listen to them.
By cutting the herd and focusing your energy on a group or individual within the group, your task becomes easier, more efficient and focused. By all means, don’t ignore the other members of the herd. You need to acknowledge them in some capacity, just don’t spread your focus too thin. Cut the right ones and the rest of the herd will follow.
Giddy up.
