Changing Perception One Person At A Time

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Perception Is Reality

It’s frustrating to work hard to solve a problem and then to feel that nobody noticed that the situation has gotten better. Worse than that is when you make a positive change and people still complain about the problem that has been solved. The adage of “perception is reality” needs a tweak, “perception is reality and it’s hard to change”. The basic problem is that people weigh negative experiences more heavily than they do positive ones. So once a person has a negative experience it is very difficult to reorient his perception.

To Move Faster – Slow Down

The issue of negative perceptions can be a significant impediment in developing a company culture that is good at driving and accepting change. Often my job involves changing how a process works within a company. Coming up with the solution is rarely the difficult part. The challenge is to do the prep work necessary to have the change accepted when it’s implemented.  This involves getting people brought in up front, so they can see their own ideas implemented. But an equally important process takes place post change. I call this the naysayer phase. For many and varied reasons some people will remain negative about the change. My experience is that this is typically a small, vocal minority who are negative as a way of displaying control. Ignore them at your peril, it’s incredible the damage they can inflict if they are not managed.

Focus on the Few

First identify the ringleaders of negativity. Meet with them one-on-one to understand their issues and their problems.  They often have really good input, but you have to bite your lip and listen. This is not always easy; their language can be very emotional and angry. Based on their input, make adjustments if necessary and plan to implement actionable metrics.  Benchmarking metrics can help defuse emotional responses. Then periodically circle back to them to review the progress using metrics. Make sure to encourage their input and thank them for helping to improve the situation. It’s a slow process, but worthwhile. You will know you are having success if you hear, phrases like “it’s not awful”, “I can live with that”, or “at least they’re trying”...do not get your hopes up that this group will express their satisfaction in flowery praise.

Come On In, the Water’s Safe

As an engineer, I find emotions messy and tiring. It can be easy to be dismissive or get angry myself. However, realize that most of the time when people are negative about a change they are worried about how it will affect their control over their work or other people. They will not admit this or in many cases even realize that this is what is upsetting them. Your job is to work with them to overcome this fear and get them to accept the change. It can be tiring, but in the end you will find this process far more effective than the alternative approach - sneering.

About the Author

Tom Petersen is the Managing Partner of ThreeCore, an operational consulting firm in Beverly, Massachusetts.  Tom consults for multinational companies engaged in the design and manufacture of high-tech products. His team is dedicated to helping companies create competitive advantages using innovative strategies and process-driven improvement. For more information go to www.threecore.com or follow Tom on twitter @3CoreConsulting.