Removing Barriers to Change: The Unwritten Rules of the Game [Archive.org URL]

Traditional approaches to addressing organizational behavior problems always focus on changing shared values. They always try to change motivators. It’s the only approach most senior managers can take because they’re using models of the problem that have no cause-and-effect built into them.

So they try to “teach teamwork,” “encourage quality,” and “inspire customer service.” But they are trying to change the symptom without changing the factors that make the symptom inevitable. That’s why those approaches are developing such a tarnished reputation. They’re trying to push water uphill.

If instead you find the unwritten rules, you can understand the conflict with what you’re trying to achieve. Understand the conflict, and you’ll see how to eliminate it. Eliminate the conflict, and you’ll get the behavior you want.

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