Change management lessons from Facebook
Within 10 months of launching Facebook 1 million people had adopted the new technology and 750 million people are active users today. The significant speed of Facebook adoption, and even addiction, can offer valuable lessons for all of us leading, managing or experiencing workplace change.
One of the most powerful lessons offered by Facebook is that people adopt change quickly if it aligns with how our brains are hardwired. More specifically, change happens by getting one’s attention on a particular piece of information that rewires their attitude, while ensuring they have the ability to actually change.
Specific examples of how Facebook works with our brains and its application in the workplace include:
People who influence us at a personal level get our attention
When we receive information from somebody we already know, care about, are influenced by or admire, we are more receptive and attentive to the information. Our need to be liked, accepted and to “fit-in” commands our attention which is the critical first step to influence change. The attention-response link is highlighted by the fact that 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day.
This raises the importance of change communication by people trusted in the workplace and answering the question “who is genuinely on board to help us make this change happen?”
Create and promote attitudes that align with desired behavior
Attitudes shape how we think, how we feel and our subsequent behavior. For example, people who believe “I could never keep in touch with all my friends without Facebook” will become dependent on Facebook. Regardless of whether the attitude is fact or fiction, it’s the attitude that influences behaviour. Different Facebook users may hold different attitudes but it is likely that their attitude is aligned with the desired behavior of Facebook usage.
This in itself poses the important question to ask through change, “what are people’s attitudes toward this change? Will they align with the change?”
Ensure ability to change by removing actual or perceived barriers
Integration with email, cost-free, online, accessible through smart phones and as simple to set up as entering an email and password maximises convenience of Facebook usage. The convenience of access coupled with email integration makes it so much easier for people to align the habit of email checking with Facebook usage. Although Facebook has many millions invested into its usability, the message is still clear: our brains love to work on autopilot (habits) and the more brain-power required the harder change is. As typified by the tendency for people to workaround a “perfect” IT system to use clunky spreadsheets to get the job done.
This demonstrates the importance of designing a change initiative that keeps things as simple as possible investing time into identifying, then removing, real or perceived barriers to change. The important question is, “it ticks the boxes, but it is going to be too complicated and what might stop people adopting the change?”
Our NeuroChange in the workplace training and approach to change is heavily based on how our brains are hardwired for change and can offer helpful insights into planning and managing change. If you are seeking an alternative view or a general discussion about a particular change in your organisation, please contact Blake Redding (Senior Consultant) on (07) 3833 1248.
