One of my core beliefs as a management consultant is that the root cause of why change projects fail is the lack of a clear and convincing business case. In my experience, the vast majority of people are willing to change (even if this change has negative implications for them), as long as they understand the rationale behind the change and have the means (resources) to change.

However, I also have come across a number of people who did not want to change, even when there was a clear need to do so, and they had all the required capabilities and resources at their disposal.

Examples include:

• A CEO who did not want to embark on a savings program, despite the fact that her company was on the brink of bankruptcy
• A leader of a national operating company of a global corporation, refusing to implement global policies and processes (aimed at harmonizing and streamline decision making) in the  subsidiary she led
• A struggling department head who was told by the executive board to get a grip on his portfolio, but, despite the help of an executive coach, continued to be unable to produce a list of his top-10 priorities

All these examples have three things in common: a clear case for change, a clear course of action, and the availability of the necessary resources (support from senior leaders and/or the possibility to use external consultants and coaches). 

Enter Freud

I never understood why, given their intelligence and the consequences associated with their lack of action, the people in the examples mentioned above were not able to change their behaviors... until I came across Freud’s concept of ‘epinosic gain’. 

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