Anecdote: Neuroscientific look at change management

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9/06/06 |

Neuroscientific look at change management

By Shawn. Follow me on Twitter. Filed in Culture, Strategy.

Here is an interesting article which reports on a range of neuroscience research on how people respond to change. The article explores the following conclusions:

Change is pain. Organizational change is unexpectedly difficult because it provokes sensations of physiological discomfort.
Behaviorism doesn’t work. Change efforts based on incentive and threat (the carrot and the stick) rarely succeed in the long run.
Humanism is overrated. In practice, the conventional empathic approach of connection and persuasion doesn’t sufficiently engage people.
Focus is power. The act of paying attention creates chemical and physical changes in the brain.
Expectation shapes reality. People’s preconceptions have a significant impact on what they perceive.
Attention density shapes identity. Repeated, purposeful, and focused attention can lead to long-lasting personal evolution.