One of the greatest challenges of any change is getting people to come willingly on the journey, rather than kicking and screaming. This webinar will introduce key concepts that underpin how minds get influenced. Visit www.changeleaders.com.au for more webinars and information

1. Brought to you by
The Change Leadership Company Brought to you by
www.changeleaders.com.au The Change Leadership Company
www.changeleaders.com.au

2. About your presenter
 Megan Tough
 Founder, The Change Leadership
Company
 24 years experience working on people
and change issues

3. What does it mean to change someone’s mind?
At the most basic level, a change of mind involves a “change of mental representation”

4. Types of mind changes
Very diverse & Homogeneous Single person
indirect & direct & direct
Uniformity

5. 7 Levers that factor into mind changes
The 7 R’s
1. Reason
2. Research
3. Resonance
4. Redescriptions
5. Resources/Rewards
6. Real World Events
7. Resistances
From Changing Minds, Howard Gardner, 2006

6. Reason and Research
1. Reason –the rational approach
 identifying all relevant factors
 weighing each in turn
 making an overall assessment
2. Research – collection of relevant data
 Formal or informal
 Which perspective is supported

7. Resonance and Redescriptions
1. Resonance – when an idea seems to “fit” the current situation
 authenticity
 Conscious or unconscious
2. Redescription – present ideas in different formats
 Lists
 Graphs
 Words
 Concepts
 Stories

8. Redescription example demonstrating 80-20
principle
Name Beers per week
1. John G 45
2. Mary P 43
3. Sarah J 42
4. John F 42
5. Daniel E 41
6. Wendy P 40
7. Megan T 39
8. Maria B 37
9. Audrey J 36
10. Jenny N 36
11. Sheila L 36
12. Phil Oq 33 % of drinkers % of beer drunk
13. James Z
14. Andy W
32
31
Glasses per week
15. Angie L 30 50
16. Peter A 30 45
17. Kathy K 30
18. Lisa C 30 40
19. Charlie D 26 35
20. David H 21 80%
30
21. Fiona w 19 25
22. Jeff D 19 Glasses per week
20
23. . 16
15
24. . 15
........ 10
20%
100.Kelly P 1 5
0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52

9. Resources/Rewards and Real world events
1. Resources/Rewards
 Focus and funds can make a difference
 Support behaviour change with incentives
2. Real World Events – events in society that change the way people think
 legislation
 wars
 Global Financial crisis

10. Resistances
1. Resistances – things that prevent people from changing their mind
 A disabler of change
 Must be considered with equal importance to the first 6
 Extremely powerful

11. From the Neuroscience Field......
Threat Reward

12. Our brains at work.....
Pre-Frontal
Cortex
Amygdala

13. Minimising Threat during Change – Neuroscience View
There are 4 issues that can influence the brain’s state:
1. Certainty
2. Status
3. Fairness
4. Autonomy

14. Certainty
Certainty - the need for the brain to recognise the situation it is in.
Any kind of significant change generates uncertainty, activating the threat
response.
Minimise uncertainty by:
 Involvement in planning and strategising
 breaking complex tasks down
 establish clear expectations of what might happen
 Provide information – all of it

15. Status
Status - relative importance, pecking order and seniority.
Our perception of an increase or decrease in status generates very strong
responses
Feelings of status increase when we are:
 Learning and developing
 When people notice our work or achievements
 Receiving praise
 Promise of a future increase in status

16. Fairness
Fairness - the degree to which the brain recognises a “fair exchange”
Fair exchanges activate the reward circuitry, and unfair exchanges
generate a strong threat response
Decrease the threat from uncertainty by:
 Increase transparency and involvement in business issues
 Make sure the change is “fair”
 Establish clear expectations can help ensure fair exchanges
 Allow teams to identify their own rules and decide on things like
rosters and working hours

17. Autonomy
Autonomy – perception of exerting control over one’s environment
An increase feels rewarding and activates the brain’s reward centres. A
perception of reduction generates a strong threat response.
Maximise autonomy by:
 Giving people as much control over their environment as
possible
 Provide choices
 Allow people to be involved in decision making

18. Minimising Threat during Change – Neuroscience View
Recap of 4 factors that influence the brain’s threat/reward state:
1. Certainty
2. Status
3. Fairness
4. Autonomy

19. Summary
Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience
Use at least 5 out of 7 levers Maximise these 4
1. Reason
1. Certainty
2. Research
2. Status
3. Resonance
4. Redescriptions 3. Fairness
5. Resources/Rewards 4. Autonomy
6. Real World Events
7. Resistances

20. Key Messages
 To influence minds we need to employ multiple levers.
 Reason and rationale are not usually sufficient in themselves
 The resonance of the story and the person telling it are important
 Presenting the same concept in multiple ways is powerful in changing minds
 Understanding resistance and addressing the source is more important than
anything else
 We are naturally wired to see things as threatening.
 To change minds we need to steer people away from threat responses
 There are many ways to decrease the perception of threat – especially in
terms of status and certainty

21. Questions ?

22. THANKS!
Want to Learn More?
 Next webinar: Mar 17: Identifying Change Impacts like a Pro!
www.changeleaders.com.au/events/webinars
 Enrol in Change Methods Mastery – On-line learning program. 12 modules with 23 templates and
tools covering all aspects of change. www.changeleaders.com.au/events/online-program
 Email me: megan@changeleaders.com.au
 Visit the website: www.changeleaders.com.au