An important part of leadership is getting people to do things they don’t necessarily want to do. One of these involves getting people to accept – even welcome – change. It can be challenging but it’s not impossible. Try these steps:
- “Foot-in-the-door” technique. This involves getting people to make a small change as a step toward something more difficult or extensive. When you get your employees to agree to a small change, it builds confidence, commitment, and trust and helps make big change easier down the line.
- “Door-in-the-face” technique. This involve asking for or demanding a larger, more difficult, and/or more dramatic change than you want or expect. When staff balk, you put forth your actual—less extensive—change. In comparison to your original demand, it doesn’t seem as extreme; and people are more willing to comply.
Which technique will have the greatest impact depends on your personality and leadership style, as well as the composition of your team.
