Change Management Starts with Changing Minds
Managing effective change is essential in human resources. After all, program implementation depends on doing something different than what we were doing yesterday.
There are numerous change management theories, but we’re a long way from a unifying theory on the topic. However, that doesn’t mean the change management battle is a guessing game. Howard Gardner, the Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard, has written Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People’s Minds. In the book, Garnder, who developed the theory of multiple intelligences, offers key points about change management from an individual point of view. In a HGSE News interview he spoke about two key elements for changing minds (and, ultimately, behavior):
[M]inds are most likely to be changed if they are introduced to the new idea or concept in as many appropriate ways as possible…[I]t is not enough to merely repeat a point over and over again. For example, if you are teaching the theory of evolution, it is useful to enforce the instruction with additional ideas in visual or hands-on support such as diagrams, simulations, narratives, logical syllogisms or live demonstrations (e.g., fruit flies).
Second, the lever of overcoming resistance recognizes that individuals develop very strong theories and concepts—often misconceptions—about the world when they are young. These ideas tend to become entrenched early on, and teachers regularly underestimate the strength and persistence of these formative ideas. Yet, unless these misconceptions are challenged, students are likely to remain with these early ideas or maintain them alongside the new and more adequate concepts. Thus, the dedicated teacher must find ways to undermine these early ideas and keep them from re-emerging.
Professor Garner’s book is a good read for those who are involved in change management efforts. An important distinction he makes about changing minds is that the effort cannot be through manipulation or secrecy. In Getting from Oranges to Apples in CIO Magazine, he says:
I don’t believe behavior change lasts unless people’s minds change voluntarily. I’m interested in leadership that’s overt and mind-changing that’s intentional.
Garner gave an interview to NPR where he explains all seven of his Changing Minds principles. It’s an easy, five-minute way to get the essence of the theory. And for the auditory learners out there, it’s how you’ll want to get your information.
Full disclosure: I’m applying Principle #1: To change minds “introduce the concept in as many appropriate ways as possible.”
| Digg this | Post to del.icio.us | Post to Furl|
KnowHR Quotes: #1
Most conversations are simply monologues
delivered in the presence of witnesses.
–Margaret Millar
Creating Communities: Words of Wisdom from Craig Newmark
Technology is an essential ingredient for organizational communication, but it certainly isn’t the only thing. Far from it. Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist, one of the web’s biggest communities, offered this view in Are You On Craig’s List?:
[L]et’s be clear: The Net is not about technology, it’s about people — a fact that is obvious to everyone except to we programmers. The most important things we, as humans, need to do — commercially or socially — is to connect with others. An online community is no substitute for real-world interactions. In fact, the most successful online communities are the ones that throw parties, sponsor events, host get-togethers — help members meet one another face-to-face in the real world.
Sure, websites and e-mail have their place. But nothing substitutes for one-on-one communication.
Power Naps Are Good for Your Employees
Being a big fan of the afternoon power nap, I’m always on the lookout for data to substantiate my position that napping is good. I’ve used the “Einstein, Churchill and Edison always took afternoon naps” rationale, but in our modern age those references are getting a bit dated (plus I get reminded that I’m no Einstein, and that’s a bummer). So, when I saw a recent article in USA Today about the sleep deprived at work, it awakened me from my slumber.
Companies Try To Help Workers Sleep More cites a study by the National Sleep Foundation that says, “[M]any workers are groggy at their desks or on the factory floor. Research shows that drowsy workers are more likely to have accidents, that many suffer from sleep-related health problems, and that lack of sleep means they can feel unfulfilled on the job.” That has some big effects on HR. Being drowsy at work is the equivalent of being drunk.
“People who nap — be it for a few minutes or a few hours — can improve their mood and productivity,” says sleep researcher Bill Anthony of Boston University in Profiting from Nonproductiveness. The Wired article showcases MetroNaps, the brainchild of Arshad Chowdhury, “who, when he was working as a banker in New York City…noticed people around him falling asleep in meetings, and even sneaking off to bathrooms just to catch a midday snooze.” Enter the MetroNaps Pod (pictured above):
MetroNaps provides America with mid-day rest facilities: a clean, comfortable place to take a nap. MetroNaps was born from the realization that many employees spend significant amounts of their day dozing at their desk or catching powernaps in odd places. We seek to be the premier provider of professional nap centers in the United States.
Founded in 2003 and researched and tested at Carnegie Mellon University, MetroNaps has developed a process and facilities to help maximize the rejuvenating effects of a brief rest. Combined, the MetroNaps Method and the MetroNaps Pod provide our customers with the quick recharge needed so they can do more with their day, both professionally and personally.
NapPasses can be purchased for $14 each, and MetroNaps Pods can be installed at work, too.
For those of you out there who would like to nap, but feel like if you “nap” it’ll be for the rest of the day, the Caffeine Nap is for you. Here’s how it works: Gulp down a cup of coffee and then immediately take a 15-minute nap. It works. Set an alarm, wake up, and you’ll be some kind of refreshed. Okay, I feel better about my afternoon nap already.
Would napping help your employees? What if the next Einstein is working at your shop right now? Do you have a napping policy in place? Comments are open below. We’d love to hear what you have to say. Unless it’s when I’m taking my nap.
|Digg this| Post to del.icio.us| Post to Furl|
Beautiful Evidence: Presentation Design Matters
Edward Tufte, the graphic presentation guru, who was called “The Leonardo DaVinci of Data” by the New York Times, has recently published Beautiful Evidence. He describes the book about presenting information by saying, “Beautiful Evidence is about how seeing turns into showing, how empirical observations turn into explanations and evidence presentations.” If you don’t own Tufte’s other three books, you can buy the entire bundle for $150 (saving yourself $35 and learning a heckuva lot about presenting information in the process).
The author was interviewed on NPR about the book in a piece titled Edward Tufte, Offering Beautiful Evidence. The five-minute interview is well worth listening to, especially when he talks about “spark lines,” which are data-rich presentations that give a much more complete way to present information.
In HR, presenting data is often a key part of the job. HR professionals present data to senior management about turnover, pay, performance ratings, and many other aspects of the work experience. It’s wise to consider Tufte’s work in that context. As we all know, when it comes to people, nothing happens in a vacuum.
-
SUBSCRIBE
-
-
-
