Mike 
One of my adult sons has tried to convince me that cold-brewed coffee tastes much better than any kind of hot coffee. I’m skeptical. I’ve been waking up to hot coffee for most of my adult life, and I see no reason to change. In fact, I can’t imagine drinking cold coffee in the mornings, not even on Houston’s hottest summer days.
My aversion to cold coffee is a lot like the challenge that many leaders face. They are trying to initiate new ways of thinking that will result in organizational change. But the people that are being led have been doing things a certain way for many years. They see no reason to think or act differently and can’t imagine how the proposed change will be better.
So if you’re trying to lead change in an organization where people are satisfied with the old ways, here are three principles to keep in mind:
- Don’t say that the old ways are “bad.” No matter how eloquent my son may be, he won’t convince me that my cup of hot coffee tastes bad. If he were to try, I would dig in my heels. Unless you can convincingly show the harm done by old ways, it’s better to not attack them.
- Appeal to their imagination. I said that I can’t imagine drinking cold coffee, but perhaps I could if we talked about how much better it tastes. When leaders help others imagine a different future, they move the conversation in a much more positive direction. Asking a “what if” question, or showing glimpses of that future, can create an openness to new ideas.
- Make it easy – the power of experiments. An experiment is a one-time action that enables reluctant followers to try something new. I could experiment by trying a cup of cold-brewed coffee, without throwing out my coffeemaker. It’s much easier to say “yes” to an experiment than to make a “permanent” commitment to an unproven new idea.
