Chang Chats with Stu Chang

Managing Change - 10 Steps to Manage Resistance

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I recently saw an ad where the state of West Virginia is having a lottery and offering custom guns, custom trucks, scholarships, lifetime fishing and hunting licenses, and even cash prizes up to $1.5M if residents get vaccinated.  This is essentially an incentive program to entice people who are resisting getting vaccinated to do so.

I recommend an more holistic approach to getting people to exhibit a desired behavior in order to achieve a desired outcome.

  1. All change begins with understanding "Why?"  Give people information about the nature of the change, why it is important, and the risk of not changing.
  2. All change requires a personal decision.  You can't make people do something, they have to want to do it.  But you can tell them what's in it for them.  What are the benefits to them.
  3. Once people have decided to get on board, they must know how to perform the new behavior.  In WV, do people know how or where to get the shot?
  4. All the above doesn't actually accomplish the desired behavior.  In our WV example, nothing changes until more people get vaccinated.  So people must demonstrate the ability that is desired.
  5. Finally, all change should be reinforced.  If someone gets their first shot, how do you make sure they get their second.

    6. If you go through this comprehensive approach to managing change and people are still resisting, then take these 10 steps to managing resistance.  It's important to start with the first 4 in order.  Then you can use the rest as applicable.

    1. Listen and understand their objections
    2. Focus on the "What" and let go of the "How"
    3. Remove barriers
    4. Provide simple, clear choices, and consequences
    5. Create Hope
    6. Show the benefits in a real and tangible way
    7. Make a personal appeal
    8. Convert the strongest dissenters
    9. Demonstrate consequences
    10. And finally in the case of West Virginia, provide an incentive
      11. ...more
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      Chang Chats with Stu ChangBy Stu Chang
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