Ask Anna – How do I convince people to make a change?

Dear Anna,

I feel like I am beating my head against the wall trying to convince people to change and not to do things “the way we’ve always done them.” I can provide a very compelling, logical argument for making a change but I can’t gain any traction. People are so stuck in their ways, even when their ways are no longer working for them. Should I just give up? What else can I try?

AF

Dear AF,

I have been where you are and it can be immensely frustrating. I’ve been brought to tears by these kinds of situations. “If only people would listen to me!”

The word I keyed in on in your question was “logical.” What if you approached this from an “illogical” perspective. Your colleagues are being “illogical” but why? They want to do things the way they have always been done even though that no longer makes sense. There is usually a reason for resistance.

Explore why are they being illogical? If you put yourself in their positions, what do they have to lose by making this change? Or what do they think they have to lose by making this change? How would making the change cause them discomfort or stress?

Consider conversations with people where you purposely solicit the reasons they do not want to change so you can better understand their perspectives and address their concerns. Once you’ve figured that out, you can shift your pitch to focus more on how the things they are worried about can be managed or minimized. Shifting the perspective can make your argument more compelling.

In addition, you can also identify the people who are more likely to support your idea sooner and start with them versus a larger group of people.

Ultimately, you will need to make this change a joint decision in a way that feels right to people.

Let me know what you find.

Anna