It’s a common frustration for HR professionals: You support a bold initiative or present a compelling idea, only to see that idea struck down by your leadership team — or, worse, you realize the initiative was doomed from the start because of a lack of buy-in and poor planning. For HR leaders trying to drive change, knowing who holds the power and how to move stalled decisions forward is as critical as the idea itself.
“How many times have you sat in your seat and said, ‘I can’t understand why they don’t see value in this. I can’t understand why this initiative won’t move forward’?” asked Andrea Goodkin, SHRM-SCP, people and technology consulting practice leader at HUB International, during a session at SHRM25 in San Diego.
In retrospect, Goodkin said, poor planning, failure to gather allies, and mistakes in the presentation can all be fatal blows for HR initiatives, To turn that “no” into a “yes” — or at least a “not yet” — consider these four suggestions from Goodkin and Carrie Cherveny, employee benefits compliance practice leader at HUB International.
First, Understand the ‘Why’
“I always present the ‘why’ behind what I’m proposing, so I want to understand the ‘why’ behind the ‘no,’ ” Goodkin said. “What is it that’s driving that ‘no’ decision? Is it financial? Is it something that the company tried before? Is there something that you don’t even know about? It’s important to be inquisitive and be open to whatever that feedback is.”
By understanding what’s behind the rejection, HR leaders can reframe their proposals, address hidden concerns, and re-engage decision-makers with a more targeted and compelling approach.
“If there still is no logic that I can find around the ‘no,’ then I have to look a little bit deeper to see if there’s a different way to present or different information,” Goodkin said.
Clarify If It’s ‘Not Now’ or ‘Not Ever’
Before walking away from a rejected proposal, it’s essential to know whether the door is closed temporarily or for good. Timing, competing priorities, or budget cycles can derail even the best ideas.
“Find out if this is ‘no’ always or ‘no’ for now, and at what time can you be bringing this back again,” Cherveny said. “Is it the day after tomorrow when your CEO is in a better mood, or is it in six months after the end of the fiscal year?“
Take the Right Tone
How you respond to that “no” can be the deciding factor between opening a dialogue or shutting it down. Leaders are more likely to re-engage if your follow-up is framed as a learning opportunity rather than a rebuttal.
“Approach this carefully in a way that doesn’t sound like you’re challenging, argumentative, or defensive,” Cherveny said. “Your message and tone need to be: ‘Help me understand where I went wrong here’ or ‘What are the factors at play that make this a “no,” so I can better plan when I bring you future initiatives?’ Seek to learn, seek to grow, seek to get better.”
Do Your Research and Collect Allies
Even the strongest ideas can fall flat without the right groundwork. That means doing more than crafting a compelling proposal — it also requires understanding the business context, anticipating objections, and identifying whose support will carry weight in the decision-making process. Building internal alliances ahead of time can transform a lone idea into a shared vision that’s harder to dismiss.
It’s critical to vet your ideas with the right internal stakeholders and subject matter experts and secure leadership support in advance. Also, be aware of whether the idea will drop new responsibilities on others’ to-do lists. If so, make sure you get those people on your side before making the pitch.
The obvious key ally to bring on board is your CEO. A 2024 SHRM survey found that when CEOs actively lead or support HR strategy development, HR strategies achieving full integration doubled from 10% to 20%.
“Whoever you’re presenting this information to, they are as busy as you are,” Goodkin said. “So, it’s important to come forward with something that’s not going to put work on their plate. Rather, bring something forward that they can pretty immediately see value in and at least move toward a plan.”
When studying your idea, don’t just dig into the topic itself. Know your organization’s culture and appetite for change.
“It’s not just having the research on the topic you’re presenting,” Goodkin said, “but having research and intelligence about your own organization.”
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