The volume and speed of change are greater now than at any time in the history of man and for some this creates endless opportunities whereas for others it creates perpetual stress. Why is it that even when facing prolonged morbidity and even death from heart disease, some people will continue to smoke? Why is it that in the face of unprecedented economic pressure we sometimes resist changes that may preserve rather than destroy our working environment; indeed what are the dynamics of change that seem to be creating so many problems at BA as I write this.

The answer may lie within the pages  of Alan Deutschman’s “Change or Die” (HarperCollins 2007), in which he  examines the dynamics of change citing examples of successfully changing beliefs in individuals and groups where you would barely imagine it to be possible. BA and Unite, read on!

 There are, according to Deutschman, three keys:

1.       Relate - Formation of a new emotional relationship with a person or community that inspires or sustains hope

2.       Repeat - The new relationship helps you learn, practice, and master the new habits and skills that you’ll need.

3.       Reframe – The new relationship helps you learn new ways of thinking about your situation and your life

 It is fundamental that 2 & 3 refer back to the relationship in 1; “Winning hearts and minds” of course is not a new principle and Deutschman’s model puts this at the forefront of change. In order to create the environment for change there must be empathy, trust, and understanding of the emotional impact on all parties. In the natural world continual spontaneous environmental change demands continual adaption of species in order to survive, literally Change or Die. In business however, change is often engineered to alter the environment in order to gain competitive advantage, or designed to adapt to an environment that has already changed. Change for the human race is a social and economic phenomenon rather than a purely biological one. Active social change requires the buy-in of the changing society or it may be fiercely resisted….and there are numerous examples to support this globally.

Of course, people often focus on what they will lose from change and remain blind to the opportunities it may create so agents of change would do well to acknowledge the negatives and sell the positives in their process of building the all-important relationship. Sellng is in itself about facilitating change and effective selling is about creating the right relationship for the prospect to become a buyer through a change in behaviour.

If you are involved in change (and who isn’t) reading “Change or die” will give you good examples of how the 3 keys can work. Conversely, look to BA and Unite for a live case study of what appears to happen if reframing is attempted without the relationship. Perhaps Willie Walsh and Derek Simpson would do well to buy a copy and read it before the dinosaurs become extinct!