Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all get aligned and move forward in seconds? (Beware of the teammate who answers “yes” to this trick question.) Of course it wouldn’t be nice – it would be suicidal. It’s in the process of messy meetings, where we share our truth and alternative perspectives, that we discover the greater path forward.
Yet, loath are we when we find ourselves teamed with someone who stubbornly refuses every idea. A new friend, Barry, told me he calls these people “C.A.V.E. People: Citizens Against Virtually Everything.”
What makes Barry an effective leader, though, is how he differentiates himself when responding to such CAVE people. “The temptation is to ignore them,” Barry said. “But doing that makes things worse, because then they bleed toxins into the organization. Instead, you’ve got to listen to their ideas. And then provide them with evidence that you’re following through on their ideas.
“Even if you as the leader had the same idea, you’ve got to ensure that CAVE people know it was their idea. When you do this, you can lead people out of their cave.”
People don’t resist change, they resist being changed. (Stomp the Elephant, 2007) People aren’t flawed. It’s the change process that is flawed. Change the process, the approach to change, and people change themselves – and the results they deliver. How are you implementing this new approach to change?
