Chapter Nine. Convince the Masses
We know our organizations must be agile enough to make changes when necessary. But we also know that’s easier said than done. In this chapter we present the patterns Trial Run(245), Guru Review(161), Big Jolt(107), and Royal Audience(210), which you can use to convince others that change is good.
A friend called Linda the other day. He’s one of those unfortunates who has inherited a tendency for high cholesterol and he knew that she had had some luck lowering her cholesterol with diet. “But I can’t imagine life without bananas and potatoes!” he wailed.
Linda assured him that many of the tenets proposed by diet gurus were not based on rocket science. Some popular rationales like the values in the glycemic index were the result of limited observation and there was precious little science to back up the claims of the diet hawkers.
“Think of this as an experiment,” she suggested. “Try making a few changes and see what happens. Everyone is unique. Everyone has a different approach to eating and exercise. Try a few things and find out what works for you.”
Her friend calmed down. Linda offered, “After you try some things for awhile, then see your doctor for another test, say six months from now. When you get the results, you’ll know more about what works for you and you can decide what the next steps will be.”
He was much happier than when they had started their conversation. “Okay! Maybe I don’t need a banana every day; I’ll try it out. I’ll let you know how things go.”
“Great!” she said, “Stay in touch.”
After their phone conversation, Linda remarked to herself that it was amazing how little it had taken on her part to move her friend from panic and resistance to a calmer, more accepting state. What she had applied was an influence strategy that has been captured in our pattern Trial Run(245). Why is it such a valuable technique? Because most of the time, for most of us, change is difficult. It’s especially difficult when our jobs are threatened, as in these tough economic times. It’s really, really difficult when it means giving up something that is a highlight in our day, that special dessert, for instance. Even when we rationally know that improving our skills or watching our diet is good and good for us, we often resist making changes.
The magic is in seeing the change as “temporary.” Suddenly, the new approach becomes a smaller threat. We are less resistant and more open when we think of the change as an experiment, just something we’re going to try on for size.
The Trial Run pattern can help you keep your sanity and your patience when you’re facing an endless stream of objections to the new idea. Instead of trying to address each and every concern, suggest that the critics try out the new idea for a limited time. You know, just like a test drive—if you don’t like it you can bring it back, no questions asked, no problem. This makes even skeptics more open to the new approach because they know they’re just taking it for a spin without a long-term commitment.
To make the technique even more powerful, throw in an unexpected or unusual twist. This enhances the influence strategy and lowers resistance. In a recent experiment, students posing as beggars found that they received a small amount of money 44% of the time when they just asked for cash. When they asked for a precise sum that was a single coin (25 cents), they got it 64% of the time. But when they asked for an apparently arbitrary number (37 cents) they got it 75% of the time. The more unusual the request, the more likely it was to be satisfied.
So when you suggest a Trial Run of a new idea, you might give a specific and unexpected spin on the “let’s try it” approach. For instance, you might say, “Let’s try it for the next two quarters and then see how things are going.” The brain loves to whirl around on complex instructions like “the next two quarters.” Vocal skeptics start churning possibilities in their minds while plans are being made for the experiment. It keeps them from presenting major objections and gives you a chance to get things off the ground.
Getting people to change can be difficult. It’s usually easy, however, to get them to try an experiment. We have seen so many resistors turn around when the innovation is proposed as a Trial Run. They feel the risk is much lower because they don’t have to commit to anything. If they’re not happy, they can return to the old ways. No one is trying to push something on them; they’re just taking it for a “test drive.”
Enlist Gurus and Famous People
Sometimes resistors want data. To show that your idea has benefit for the organization, you can ask some respected individuals or gurus to evaluate it. This is the Guru Review(161) pattern. Mary Lynn remembers how effective this was when one administrator wanted to make significant changes in the academic organizational structure. He formed a task force of five representatives from the faculty senate who reviewed his proposal and made suggestions. After this body of professors gave their approval, it was much easier for the administrator to sell the changes to the rest of the faculty senate.
There are many ways to gather the gurus. For example, you can ask impacted managers to submit names of influential people in their areas. Keep the review period to a minimum, but be sure to allow enough time for a satisfactory evaluation. If things go your way, it will make your journey easier. It’s an important stamp of approval that you can always carry with you.
When you have resources, you can apply the Big Jolt(107) pattern and bring in an outside speaker. This allows you to take advantage of the considerable influence of well-known people. As Marlon Brando once noted, “The power and influence of a movie star is curious. I didn’t ask for it or take it; people gave it to me. Simply because you’re a movie star, people empower you with special rights and privileges.”
Big Jolt does not suggest that you bring in a movie star! You just need to look for someone who will capture the attention of the people you want to influence in your organization. We have seen interest and inquiries increase significantly after a visit by a well-known person who supports a new idea. It seems obvious, but be aware that the same credentials will not impress everyone. Different visitors may be needed to influence the different target audiences: technical people, business people, managers, and executives.
When you combine a Big Jolt visit with the pattern Royal Audience(210), you provide the opportunity for people to personally interact with the famous visitor. This allows you to thank some of your supporters as well as influence newcomers. A prominent visitor who is willing to meet with team leaders, managers, and executives can help win support for decision makers at all levels.
We heard a little of Linda’s story in the previous chapter. When she became a Dedicated Champion her responsibilities changed, but she also acquired resources and management support. Here’s what happened next.
I got a request from the vice president. He was still excited about patterns, but his staff wanted a little more evidence. Each of his executives had named a department member to be on an evaluation team for the new idea. They wanted me to give a short course in the material and outline some ideas about how it would apply to our business. I was happy, but a little afraid to get up in front of that gathering of gurus. As it turned out, they were open and listened to what I had to say. I suggested that some of them just try a few patterns and see how they worked.
About this time I was lucky enough to run into a fellow at Bell Labs who offered to visit and give a talk about what his department was doing with patterns. Since my company was a partially owned subsidiary of Lucent, that talk had considerable impact on the gurus, the management, and everyone else. What really helped was having the Bell Labs guy hang around after the talk and have lunch with some interested folks and, later, a bunch of us went out for dinner. The results of the evaluation went well. I’d like to think it was my presentation, but I think it was really the guy from Bell Labs!
You’re on a roll now! If you’ve been enlisting the help of gurus and inviting famous Big Jolt speakers, your change effort has really taken off. The next chapter presents a handful of patterns that document influence strategies. Again, they require some effort. Because you’re now a Dedicated Champion, remember to keep your initial enthusiasm and concern for the benefits to individuals and your organization as you apply these patterns.