It is the swing voters, those who have not decided, that determine the influence and success of a particular initiative. Much like the campaign activities in the political arena, success involves converting the “swing voters.” The swing voters have the greatest potential of future influence, for they are the ones who have not yet made up their mind. They are still deciding how they feel about the new program, strategy or initiative. They are still learning and exploring. They are the ones that are eventually going to join with the fans and advocates or side with the resistors.
Businesses struggling with engagement issues with their employees need to look no further than the swing voters. The passionate advocates are highly visible, the resistors are generally less invisible than they believe they are. However, the swing voters simply look and act anonymous as they go through their daily routines. They are the ones who are deciding, carefully, how they really feel about something. Engaging and converting them is the key to a team facing in the direction the business desires to go.
