Understanding Often Comes Last
I often write and present on change. A change formula that I find helpful is B+A=O=U=F. The letters stand for Belief, Action, Outcomes (results), Understanding, and Faith.
Belief is the first step. There is the belief that a change will make a difference. That belief might be based on experience or an innate conviction that something can be better. This can be anything from a community project to organizational performance. If the CEO believes in a new process or technology, things will move more quickly. This does not mean someone else cannot start the process, but it will take a bit longer.
In my recovery journey, my sponsor suggested an action. I did not understand it. He asked if I trusted him. I said yes. The greater the trust in leadership, the better the change process will be. The same is true in companies. An owner believes a change in the process will lead to improved customer satisfaction and implements it. Some employees question the change. However, the actions are taken. Service gets better. Tips improve. The improved outcomes create momentum.
Action is key. In Pensacola in 2005, a small group believed a downtown park would revitalize the community. The city council approved the project. Some people were against it, and a referendum was held. The referendum passed 54 percent for and 46 percent against. The park opened in 2012. Today, by all measures, the park exceeds expectations. Once the park opened and the outcomes became apparent, many of the no votes came to understand the project. Not all, of course, which is true with any change.
Outcomes are the results experienced. A good example is the implementation of the electronic health record (EHR) in a healthcare organization. The EHR has positive effects on patient care and clinicians work life. New physicians who never experienced life without the EHR cannot imagine life without it. Those who were part of the change process know that it took time to implement and understand the value.
Understanding finally arrives. When the change happens and results are experienced, the understanding clicks in. Another example: When a leader is scheduled to attend a two-day conference to learn skills, the initial thought is often I dont have time or even This is a waste of time. Then after the conference, they understand the value of attending. The main message here is that understanding comes near the end of the change process.
Faith is the final part of the formula. It follows successes. When the next idea comes along, more people are more willing to trust the leader in the process. Success creates trust, which builds faith.
B+A=O=U=F. Knowing this formula helps those leading a change to be less frustrated. It can help us see that resistance is not because people are not supportive. It may be due to past experiences: a time when promises were not kept or poor implementation of a change. Most of us have a hard time understanding the outcome until we experience it.
I hope you find this formula helpful when you are leading others through change. Remember, understanding often comes last. Even when the process isnt easy, the positive outcomes can build faith for the next change.
Quint Studer is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist. He earned his bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Quint is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Results That Last: Hardwiring Behaviors That Will Take Your Company to the Top. In addition to various books for business leaders, he wrote Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America.
Besides being published here, this column appears each Monday in Healthcare Rewired, Quint’s LinkedIn newsletter. For more information on Quint, visit , or reach out to him by emailing Quint@quintstuder.com.