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Here’s Why “Creating Awareness” Is Usually A Waste Of Time
A few months ago, I posted something on LinkedIn that drew a lot of angry comments, mostly from change professionals lashing out. What struck me was that while my comments were based on extensive evidence, my interlocutors seemed completely unaware of any of the facts. They even claimed that I was “using headlines to gain attention.”
The statement that mostly drew their ire was that “creating awareness is usually a waste of time.” While this is contrary to how most change management professionals are trained, the simple fact is that decades of research show that shifts in knowledge and attitudes usually don’t lead to a significant change in practice.
The truth is that change management has a startling track record of failure. McKinsey has found that 69% of transformation efforts fail. A more recent study by Bain found that only 12% succeeded and 75% had mediocre results. Misguided communication efforts are a big part of the problem. We desperately need to take a more evidence-based approach to change.
How 5 Kids In A Belgrade Cafe Changed The World
In 1998 a group of five kids met in a Belgrade cafe to discuss how they would bring change to Serbia by ending the regime Slobodan Milošević. The next day six friends joined them and the Otpor…
