Driving and managing change is a critical but challenging task for all of us.

Niccolò Machiavelli got it right with this quote on Change and Innovation in his 16th century political treatise, The Prince. “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.”

We know that a key element of successful change management is to focus on the WIIFM for those affected by the change.

WIIFM – “What’s In It For Me” . . .

People don’t care about what’s necessary or good for the company until they understand how it relates to them. Change is personal. Until we connect it to the individual, we can’t set the stage for buy-in.

Successful change management relies on clear stakeholder and participant benefits. Even with a WIIFM, human habits and behaviours still manage to divert us.

But what do you do when there is no WIIFM?

Zero, Nada, Nul

An article by Jeff Skipper got me thinking further on this topic.

He suggests;

1. Connect with a greater cause, some aspirational goodness. 

2. Tell the story – stories beat data every time for influence. 

3. Have open dialogue – provide detail and welcome questions. 

4. Get them involved – the detractors as well as the supporters. 

5. Repeat – maintain momentum, it’s a marathon not a sprint.

If driving effective change is key to your own success (and your own WIIFM) take a read of “5 tips to create support during difficult change” here . . .

Thanks for reading