"Change the environment, not the person. "
-- Inventor-philosopher Buckminster Fuller
"Every corporate giant says it wants to change.
Few can do it.
Every young company starts out as a natural force for change.
Few can sustain it.
Every organization has people who think they can be agents of
change.
Few can survive it."
-- Charles Fishman, Fast Company magazine,
April-May, 1997 "Change"
I love it when authors spell out their most important message right up front. In John Kotter's book "The Heart of Change," he puts it on page 1 -- here's what he states:
"People change what they do less because they are given analysis that shifts their thinking than because they are shown a truth that influences their feelings."
In talking about organizational change, he emphasizes that the central challenge is changing people's behavior and the way to change behavior is to "influence their feelings." "The heart of change," he continues, "is in the emotions."
So, how do you show a truth? And, what is truth? I thought this topic might stimulate some conversation. Think about change initiatives in your organization. What have you done, or seen done, that was effective in getting people to change their behaviors? Do you agree with the author's point about the value of showing truth over providing analysis? What does that say about the value of facts and factual analysis? And how does Buckminster Fuller's quote fit into this mix?
Please add your thoughts in the comments section below.
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