The Five Myths of Organizational Change—Myth #5 – Change is about communicating what our new values or beliefs are

I have saved this post for last because I think it is the most important of the Five Myths, and that we have gotten this wrong for far too long. 

Beliefs don’t change behaviors, behaviors change beliefs.

First off, think of the last time you truly changed a belief.  Oh sure, you may have learned something that surprised you or even gave you new evidence that shifted your immediate thinking—but was this a true belief, something that has worked for you time and time again?  Or was it something new you were not actually that attached to?

The only way to change beliefs is by behaving in a new way first—behaving as if something else might be true and then seeing what happens.  When we try on new behaviors and the results that they produce don’t fit our beliefs, two key things happen

·        One—our beliefs come out of the shadows and begin to take form

·        Two—we start to see the cracks in those beliefs because we have experienced the disconnect, not because someone told us our beliefs were off, but because we experienced it ourselves!

We have to stop the propaganda campaigns about new values and beliefs, they change nothing (except increasing the belief that nothing has really changed).  We have to start behaving differently.  Change does not start after the horses have left the barn.  The most effective change happens in the design of the change, in an inclusive process, in a robust dialogue.  And it starts long before decisions are made. 

Otherwise, our Change and Transformation experts simply become the propaganda leaders for decisions already made.  Jason Stanley in his book How Propaganda Works, states that propaganda is part of the mechanism “by which people become deceived about how best to realize their goals, and hence deceived from seeing what is in their own best interests.” 

Can it work?  Sadly, yes, at least momentarily. 

Do people see through it in time.Also, yes.And then they feel that they have been manipulated.Not a great recipe for trust.Not a lasting recipe for change.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Michael

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