Bob Nadler, Jr.

I purchased Driving Technical Change by Terrence Ryan as part of a Pragmatic Bookshelf sale a few months ago. Overall I thought it was a good book, though a bit basic. One handy tool I got out of it was the "Skeptic / Technique Matrix". In the book, Ryan categorizes different type of skeptics that may oppose some sort of change. He then introduces various techniques for dealing with their objections. The matrix summarizes which techniques work well for each type of skeptic.

The Skeptic / Technique Matrix

	Uninformed	Herd	Cynic	Burned	Time Crunched	Boss	Irrational
Gain Expertise	●	●	●	●
Demonstrate Your Technique	●	●	●	●	●	●
Deliver Your Message	●		●	●		●	●
Create Trust				●			●
Propose Compromise					●
Get Publicity	●	●	●	●		●
Focus on Synergy					●	●
Build a Bridge		●	●	●	●
Create Something Compelling		●	●	●	●

The techniques and the descriptions of the skeptics are a bit basic, but the book offers solid advice. If you're a technical person trying to introduce a new tool or process in your organization Driving Technical Change is a quick read that may help you out.

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