We can turn from our behavioral economists to our social psychologists and find similar observations. Elliot Aronson (2018) offers fascinating research-based examples of our built-in tendency to respond very differently simply based on how a choice is presented. Indeed, it can be quite disconcerting when we become increasingly aware of how easily our behaviors and decisions can be swayed. This human tendency can be used for positive benefit in organizational change initiatives. Information about the change process can be “framed” in a way that will be interpreted positively by our System 1 brains.
For example, in many technology change projects, there is often an abundance of information communicated about what IS changing. The response to these changes can very often foster resistance and fear. Leveraging the framing effect, communications could begin by describing what will stay the same. For example, while technology systems are implemented, the business processes behind the systems often remain the same or similar and thus less intimidating to many employees who may find this kind of technology change intimidating. As in the case of both our high-tech firm and our religious organization, a gesture toward the past and reinforcement of the mission—a framing–can provide an important sea anchor—as long as it is not embedded as a ground anchor in the seafloor.
Availability Heuristic
An interesting experiment what conducted regarding how people make estimations. Research subjects are asked the following question: which is higher; the number of murders each year in the United States or the number of suicides reported in the United States each year? Subjects answer unequivocally that there are more murders than suicides (unless they are experts in this field). They are wrong. We make the wrong judgement because we hear or read about murders on the news frequently. Our System 1 retrieves this information quickly and assumes that because we often hear about homicides, they must be more frequent—even if this is not the case.
Leaders can effectively utilize this human tendency to create “rules of thumb.” For example, they can frequently communicate about positive change experiences. Large scale projects often produce bursts of communications when specific phases are underway, rather than on a regular and frequent basis. Frequent and ongoing communications and discussion about projects creates two important availability heuristics. First, change can be positive. Second, change is something that is ongoing rather than being occasional and scary. A repeated conveying of these two perspectives can lead members of the organization quickly to access them when thinking about the changes that are occurring all around them.
The Status Quo bias
Like most people, the two of us tend to stick with default settings when, for example, downloading a new software program. We most often simply accept the recommended defaults. Software vendors who include a “Recommended” setting are leveraging the “Status Quo bias” that almost all of us hold. Most of us are largely unaware of our actions when downloading new software. Leaders can also leverage this human preference for inertia by providing recommendations when people are faced with changes, or when they need to make change-related choices. “Here is the problem (challenge). Here is the answer.”
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