In Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People’s Minds, author Howard Gardner identifies seven techniques which can be used to promote acceptance of an idea or encourage change of thought. Gardner refers to these techniques as levers, which can help individuals understand and accept new ideas or changes.
To dig deeper into these seven levers, one should read Gardner’s Changing Minds book (or So Now You’re The Superintendent, a book I co-authored with Dr. John Eller). In the So Now You’re the Superintendent book, the seven levers are more fully discussed and practical ideas for implementation are offered.
To begin, let’s briefly review a list of Gardner’s seven levers.
Reason: The idea of providing the pros related to a new concept and addressing any cons which might exist.
Research: Tying the concept back to research, data, or best practice.
Resonance: Tapping into arguments for the change which make sense to the individual.
Format (Gardner calls this representational redescriptions): Presenting the message in a variety of formats (i.e. Stories, graphical representations, written materials).
Resources and Rewards: Using resources and rewards to support individuals who adopt the new concept as an incentive to achieve buy-in and acceptance.
Real World Events: Using national, state, or local events to effect an idea or change (i.e. discussing a school shooting somewhere in the country to create urgency related to updating local school crisis management plans).
Resistances: Taking time to reflect individually, or with your team, regarding potential points of resistance to an idea or change.
I believe Gardner’s “levers” are a useful tool in the process of changing someone’s mind and encouraging them to look at an issue from an alternative perspective, but frankly, it is not enough. Leaders who are the most successful in helping others change their perspective tie together Gardner’s levers with emotion.
If the idea we are promoting does not engage people at an emotional level it will not have the necessary impact to be successful. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and the reason this is true is because an image touches people on an emotional level.
If one reflects upon this idea they will find examples in their own life, as all of us can. In Teaching that Sticks, an article written by authors Chip and Dan Heath, they explain “That’s what emotion does for an idea – it makes people care. It makes people feel something” (p. 8).
So how do leaders infuse emotion into the promotion of their ideas? The methods are not particularly hard to identify:
-Using pictures
-Sounds
-Movie clips
-Telling a story
-Providing a physical example
-Displaying a chart
-Use of simulations
-Slogan, catch-phrase or general name used to describe the change
-Role play…etc.
Our challenge lies in how we connect our idea with an appropriate emotional response from those whom we wish to impact. If one’s mind is to be changed, thus allowing them to look at an issue from an alternative perspective, it requires both the right lever and touching them at an emotional level.
As a leader have you used this process in attempting to change someone’s perspective? Do you have other concepts which you have found to work? If so, please share!