LISTEN TO EPISODE 84

SCOTT DOW: 

"In a recession, things are going to change. And change always meets resistance, and here's why: Your employees have four basic psychological needs:

1. They need to obtain things,
2. Protect things,
3. Learn things, and
4. Fit in.

When things change, things they've obtained and learned over time become obsolete. When things change, there's more to protect and new people they've got to fit in with. So change creates needy employees because they need to...

• Get new things,
• Protect what they've got,
• Learn new things, and
• Fit in all over again.

And that's why they resist.

There are two types of resistance: active resistance and passive resistance.

• When people debate and make excuses and bitch and moan, they're actively resisting, but
• ...some people are more passive aggressive. They don't debate, they don't make excuses, and they don't complain. They just disengage and take a wait-and-see attitude.

A couple of things you need to know:

• First thing is this: resistance builds momentum, so you've got to deal with it quick.
• Second thing is this: resistance is contagious, so you deal with your active resistors first.
• And the third thing is this: the best way to do it, the best way to deal with active resistors is with psychological jiujitsu.

Remember, when people resist, it's because the psychological energy they use to obtain things, protect things, learn things, and fit in gets upended, so they fight change.

In psychological jiujitsu, you take your opponent's psychological energy, one of their basic human drives, and you redirect it. You use all their psychological energy by simply leading it in a new direction. Here's how:

• Start by empathizing, and people are going to let their guards down,
• Then encourage their honest input. That's the equivalent of sticking your chin out.
• Now listen intently, because that's how you're going to hear their psychological energy. You're going to hear what's on their mind and influencing their thoughts and emotions.

They want to get things, protect things, learn things, and fit in, but they don't know how. You want to catch their blow and turn it in a positive direction. Whatever the change is, you can help them see ways to get what they want, protect what they value most, learn what they need to, and fit in. If you fight their basic psychological needs, they'll resist even more and you'll prolong that fight.

Now, I used a martial arts analogy, but this doesn't have to be a fight. In fact, this is a very positive way to coach people. You want to be approachable, open, empathetic and listen. Then just redirect their thoughts and motives, their psychological energy in a more positive direction."

Outro

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