THE SECRET OF CHANGE
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D.

Twenty years ago, I was a therapist in private practice, specializing in short-term therapy for behavioral change. At first, I wasn’t always successful in my attempts to help people whose doctors wanted them to stop smoking, or whose parents wanted them to get better grades, or whose managers wanted them to increase productivity.

But I became instantly and dramatically more effective when I learned the "secret of change." After that, I could tell if someone was destined to fail based on preliminary conversations to discuss the problem. Those conversations would go something like this:

Client: My doctor wants me to quit smoking.
Me: Good idea. Have your doctor call me for an appointment, and you call back when there's something you want to do.

Client: My husband hates it when I get fat.
Me: Okay, now I know his concern. What's yours?

Client: My sales manager would really like me to meet my monthly quota.
Me: I'll bet she would. What would you really like?

Client: My parents want me to study harder and do better in math.
Me: No doubt. Now, tell me about your goals.

It was a simple and obvious insight: people rarely changed because their doctor, their spouse, or others in their lives wanted them to.

I'm not saying there was anything wrong with trying to change for someone else, I'm only reporting that it didn't work. The motivation wasn't strong enough – it wasn't selfish enough! And when I helped those same individuals identify or develop an overwhelming personal desire for change, the result was almost always a resounding success.

Everything I learned as a therapist has helped me in my work with organizational transformation, but nothing has been quite as powerful as "the secret of change."

That’s why communicating the WIIFM – What’s in it for me? – is so important. It’s why a change strategy needs to include small wins and rewards along the way. It’s why the real-life stories of those who have succeeded at change are so powerful. And it’s why involving employees in creating change is the ultimate transformation strategy.

I thought about this recently when I was asked to speak at a meeting to "make our employees excited about the newly announced corporate restructuring." Instead of just a speech, I offered to design an interactive event that would engage the audience in creating their own future.

That's the way I'd approach it. But the company†may have other ideas. They may end up having one of their executives address the workforce, telling employees to change because company leadership wants them to.

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. offers keynote speeches and creative collaboration sessions to help individuals and organizations thrive on change. She can be reached by email: cgoman@ckg.com, phone: 510-536-1727, or through her web site: www.CKG.com.