In many cases we find burghers entering the scene when there is a stable source of funding. This often is a chicken-and-egg phenomenon. There is greater funding because more people are involved, and more people (Late Majority) are involved because there is greater funding. Given the financial instability found in many of our contemporary institutions, we may find a retreat in the funding of innovative programs and a subsequent retreat in the number of participants. The “burghers” may return to safer financial ground (the chartered town).
Several Late Majority-related strategies can be identified. We can suggest the use of surveys, focus groups, and advisory committees. In each of these instances, it is not so important that one make use of the data gathered from these initiatives; rather these research tools are engaged as marketing tools. Participants in the survey, focus group or advisory committee get the sense that they are not alone—other people are involved. Furthermore, since they are being asked for their opinion, this activity must be legitimate and main stream: if it was not legitimate then they wouldn’t be among those being asked. Psychologists have counseled us for many years that cognitive dissonance is created if people participate in something that they don’t value. Once they agree to participate, these men and women must support (at least minimally) the activity in order to restore cognitive equilibrium. An effective innovative program should target several populations, with different communication strategies being used for each of them. One of these populations can be the Late Majority and cognitive dissonance-based marketing can be an effective leverage point for this constituency. Web sites regarding the innovation can link interested parties to book reviews, institutional policies and timely information about events and resources (all of these being attractive to many in the Late Majority).
At a more fundamental level, a new innovation will become an accepted practice if it is associated with other traditions, values and activities that are already widely-accepted and respected by the Late Majority. A critical role is being played at an early stage in the life of any innovation by women and men who linked this innovation to established products and services. The field of coaching should now take advantage of its heritage by reminding people (late majority) that coaching has grown out of several well-established human service professions—such as career counseling, financial planning and pastoral counseling (including the Catholic confessional!)
Laggards/Stay-At-Homers
What about those folks who remain back home? They won’t move West under any conditions. They can’t be convinced, bribed or cajoled. In many instances, they are actively engaged in efforts to discourage the wide-spread adoption of an innovation. They might be silent at first; however, once the innovation begins to pick up steam and threatens to be accepted by the Early and Late Majority, they may become quite vocal.
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