Coalition Building Plan

When to use this

For changes that will face resistance. Sequencing matters: the wrong person hearing first can poison the well. The right early advocate makes everyone else's conversation easier.

# Coalition Building Plan — [Change]

**Owner:** [Name]   **Sponsor:** [Name]   **Target announcement date:** [Date]

## The change in one sentence
> [What is changing, who it affects, by when.]

## Why this needs a coalition
> [What makes this hard? Whose support is non-obvious but decisive?]

## Sequence — who to talk to, in what order
| # | Person | Why first / first-half / later | Argument that lands for them | Time slot |
|---|--------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------|
| 1 | [Champion you suspect] | First — once they're in, they bring others | [Argument] | Week 1 |
| 2 | [Person with informal authority] | Early — they'll either accelerate or block | [Argument] | Week 1 |
| 3 | [Likely skeptic with high power] | Once we have 2 supporters; we frame it differently | [Argument] | Week 2 |
| 4 | [Final convince — operational lead] | After 1-3 are settled; their input shapes the rollout | [Argument] | Week 3 |

## What I won't promise to get a yes
- [Compromise I'm not willing to make]

## Listening posture
- I'll go into each conversation expecting to learn something that changes the plan.
- I'll ask the same opening question to everyone: "What would have to be true for you to support this?"

## After
- Once N senior supporters are visible: announce.
- Plan a quiet contingency for the conversation with [the likely-opposed person] that I haven't won.