Why would someone reject the very same help they asked (and paid for) even when it means failure? Studies have shown that 70% of the failure is not due to the consultant, but to the individual’s and/or the organization’s resistance to change.
I am grateful that my clients have a much better success rate … and here’s why!
The conventional approach is to see things as rational problems to solve.
Consultants, both internally and externally, tend to take a “who, what, when, where, why” approach to fix it.
However, there are two types of resistance that need to be treated: logic-based resistance and emotion-based resistance. This conventional approach only deals with the logic-based resistance. As a Psychologist, I know that the emotion-based resistance has to be dealt with first and foremost!
How do we do this? We not only talk with clients about their goals, timing, and implementation of initiatives, but we also discuss the emotion-based reactions to it.
We train on how different personalities accept change differently. In other words,
we deal with feelings first!
Why? People are people first. We help clients clearly understand the initiative and what is going to happen and to accept that negative resistance is normal and expected and needs to be dealt with.
We build confidence by discussing their other change successes and remind them that the gains are worth the effort.
We help identify both logical and illogical fears of the future and help dissolve the power these fears hold over them and how important it is to take emotional responsibility for their actions, attitudes and thoughts. This helps reduce resistance!
We know that people may not be able to control the way they feel but we remind them that they can control how they act!
Positive actions bring positive results!
And…by accepting help, the chances of achieving their goals are increased markedly!