Enclaria: Change Starts Here » influence

99 Ways to Influence Change, #60: Identify key behaviors

Heather Stagl — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:27:39 +0000

I’ve heard it said that leaders should only point people in the direction they want them to go, and leave them to their own devices to figure out how to get there. In my experience, however, organizational change is usually not just about getting to the end result. Instead, change usually also entails the way people are accomplishing those results. To influence change, identify the key behaviors that people should perform that will most likely bring about the change.

Of course, you can’t script out every move people should take. Not only would it be time-consuming, but it would also be dis-empowering and demoralizing. You want people to be able to use their creativity and brains to help the organization improve. But if it matters how people are doing their jobs to accomplish the result, then they should not be left to read minds and figure it out for themselves. Let them know the critical few things they need to make sure they do.

A few years ago I was involved in an effort to develop a process improvement culture. We had some success with increasing suggestions and creating process improvement teams, but the concept really didn’t sink into the culture until we asked managers to do three things:

Ask your direct reports for opportunities for improvement.
Have regular work group meetings to develop and implement solutions.
Keep track and report back the status of their ideas to the group.

Until we incorporated the behaviors into the fabric of the department manager’s job and relationship with their team, the process improvement concept was just a side project. Identify the key behaviors that people should incorporate into their jobs and see change get embedded into how things are done.

What key behaviors will drive your change?

Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.

99 Ways to Influence Change, #59: Incite a riot

Heather Stagl — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:54:35 +0000

Imagine a group of people who are so fed up with the current state of things that they all band together to stand up and do something about it. What if you could harness the energy of a crowd who just decides that enough is enough, we’re going to revolt? Perhaps you could even create the circumstances, and incite a riot!

Anger and frustration can be powerful forces that tend to be pent up. Once they get strong enough, they only need a trigger to let loose all that energy. Of course, you don’t want to literally incite a riot, with all the chaos and danger that word invokes. But, if you can feed the fire to the point where people say, “We just can’t take it anymore!” about the current situation, then your job is to focus all that pent-up frustration into a positive and constructive direction.

Most organizational leaders prefer not to work up their employees into a frenzy, and also like to keep the dissatisfaction to a minimum. But if you need to develop a strong sense of urgency to move away from the status quo, inciting a riot might be the way to go.

How might you incite a riot?

Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.

99 Ways to Influence Change, #58: Ask for help

Heather Stagl — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:44:29 +0000

When it comes to motivation, few things pack as much power as tapping into people’s altruistic nature. One way to enlist someone to the cause is simply to ask for their help.

People like to feel needed. When you ask for help, you admit that you can’t implement the change on your own, and that the other person holds an important piece of the puzzle. You connect them to a cause greater than themselves.

Asking for specific help in small doses works as well. When you request a favor, the understanding is that the person will do it just because it is the nice, friendly thing to do. Often people will take small steps in the right direction just because they want to help the person who asked.

To influence change, appeal to the other person’s generosity of spirit, and ask for help.

Who might you ask for help?

Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.

99 Ways to Influence Change, #57: Find the emotion

Heather Stagl — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:15:59 +0000

Presentations and meetings about change projects are often filled with numbers, charts, graphs, dollar signs and time lines – a lot of analysis aimed at convincing minds that logically, this is an effort that we should undertake. While quantitative analysis might be the basis for making the decision to change, the motivation for actually changing comes from the heart instead. To influence change, find the emotion.

During change, we are moving away from the current state and toward some desired future state. Similarly, there are emotions that repel us and those we would like to experience more of. Here are some examples:

Move away from	Move toward
anger annoyance anxiety disgust embarrassment fear frustration sadness	curiosity happiness hope love optimism pride relief trust

Remind people often of the negative emotions they are moving away from when they choose to take part in the change. Tap into the positive emotions they will experience to propel them forward.

What emotions might motivate change?

Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.

99 Ways to Influence Change, #56: Invite to participate

Heather Stagl — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:55:24 +0000

Simply announcing (through an e-mail blast, newsletter, bulletin board, etc.) that an opportunity exists to join in a change project may have limited results. A more effective means of influencing people to participate is a personal invitation.

It’s easy for people to dismiss an indiscriminate announcement looking for volunteers. Even someone who is interested in participating may have doubts about whether they are the right person for the project or may come up with easy excuses for not signing up or taking part in the new behavior or activity. On the other hand, if someone is personally invited, you make them feel like they were chosen to take part, recognized for their special role in the organization. Plus, it’s more difficult to say no to a personal invitation.

Of course, it would be difficult to personally invite every single person in the organization to go through change. The personal invitation is better suited to get the initial people on board, so you can demonstrate to the masses that people are in fact participating. Recruit people up front who have passion for or interest in the change, those who are influential, or those in a visible role… or maybe even someone who might otherwise be your biggest resistor.

Who might you invite to participate?

Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.

99 Ways to Influence Change, #55: Be consistent

Heather Stagl — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:59:03 +0000

When the intent to implement a change is announced, many people want to see proof that it’s going to happen. They watch for signs that the change is just a passing fad, that leadership doesn’t really mean it. And what are they watching for? Inconsistency.

It’s not just the hypocrisy hounds and the skeptics. Everyone to different degrees is aware of conflicting information and purposes. There is so much going on in organizations today that it’s easy to find misalignment. Consider the following factors that need to carry a consistent message during change:

Vision, mission, values, strategy
Official communication channels (newsletters, website, speeches, press releases, etc.)
Management behavior
Policies and procedures
Decisions
Priorities
Goals and measures
Accountability
Incentives
Conversations with the boss
Training
Treatment of different departments
Water cooler stories

Of course, it is impossible to control all these factors on your own. As you roll out the change, place an emphasis on the importance of consistency with those who will carry the message. Become a hypocrisy hound yourself, watching for misalignment so you can address it as it pops up (and it will). In the items you can personally control, evaluate and design them to be consistent.

Where might you be more consistent?

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99 Ways to Influence Change, #54: Say “thank you”

Heather Stagl — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:37:21 +0000

Gratitude is an important factor in leading change, especially when you are leading change without authority. After all, no one actually has to do what you say, do they? Luckily, there is an extremely simple and sincere way to express gratitude: Say “thank you.”

If someone gives you their time and attention, say “thank you.”

If someone tries something new, say “thank you.”

If someone tells you why this will never work, say “thank you.”

If someone sticks their neck out for you, say “thank you.”

If someone shares their opinion or feedback, solicited or not, say “thank you.”

If someone lends you their expertise, say “thank you.”

If someone invites you to a meeting, say “thank you.”

If someone provides an idea, say “thank you.”

If someone listens to you, say “thank you.”

Organizational change never happens alone. Show appreciation for those who are going on the journey with you, and even those who want to block your path. As a change agent, “Thank you” should be the most common phrase you utter.

(Thank you for reading.)

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99 Ways to Influence Change, #53: Connect to values

Heather Stagl — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:42:14 +0000

In their book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything, authors Kerry Patterson et al write that personal motivation happens by connecting the change to values. They also indicate that one of two questions people ask when deciding whether to try something new is, “Will it be worth it?” (The other is “Can I do it?”) Connecting to values motivates change by improving the chance that the answer will be “yes.”

The goal is to find a way for individuals to take personal satisfaction from performing the activity or behavior. For example, if team members need to speak up more in meetings, connect the behavior with the value of being open and honest (instead of safety). If you want managers in traditionally competing silos to work together, connect the behavior with the values of community and collaboration (instead of winning). The values and behaviors you select will depend on the initiative, the organization, and the individual’s values.

Also, make sure the change initiative is aligned with the organization’s stated values. Otherwise, one or the other will surely be ignored.

To what values might you connect?

Want to read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change?

99 Ways to Influence Change, #52: Celebrate success

Heather Stagl — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:06:17 +0000

In the whirlwind of the day-to-day workplace, often the need to pause and celebrate success is overlooked. Instead we just keep plugging away at the next thing on the list. To keep the momentum of change going, it is important to take the time to celebrate success.

Change is often a long process. Mark positive milestones so people feel like there is movement in the right direction. Generating short-term wins and celebrating them reinforces positive movement. It keeps leaders interested and gives them a reason to continue supporting the project. Communicating successes to the rest of the organization bolsters the cause. Acknowledge and reward forward progress so you reinforce what is important and what you want to see more of.

When you are pushing the boulder uphill, it helps to stop long enough to look back and see how far you’ve gone. Take a celebratory break so you can recoup your energy and realize that you really are making a difference.

What successes might you celebrate?

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99 Ways to Influence Change, #51: Drop names

Heather Stagl — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:05:07 +0000

When you are implementing change without having direct authority, sometimes you have to rely on someone else’s authority to get things done. One of the easiest ways to borrow someone else’s authority is to say (or infer) that you are working on their behalf. To influence change, drop names.

The following are examples of name-dropping:

“The CEO asked me to invite you to participate.”
“Your boss suggested that you would be the one to ask about this.”
“I was at lunch yesterday with the VP of Operations, and he loved this idea.”

There are a few warnings about name-dropping. First, if you do it too much, you give the impression that your change initiative can’t stand on its own without needing someone to push it through. Also, if the person whose name you are using isn’t respected, you may be building resentment and resistance. Plus, if you drop names too much, you become someone who can only influence others by relying on other people’s authority. It’s not a great way to build your own personal influence.

It’s probably best to drop names subtly and only occasionally. Drop names to help link your request to the bigger picture, and to connect people with where the change is coming from. Only rarely should you use it to bulldoze someone.

Whose name might you drop?

Want to read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change?