Your organization is in a deep trance. Habits and behaviors are deeply entrenched. Time for a culture change! You desire to become more nimble, more responsive to the customer, more innovative, more profitable. How will you get leaders and employees to snap out of the trance and build new, more productive behaviors and habits?

John, the Frustrated CEO

John is an entrepreneur. His company had grown dramatically over the years because of its innovative and creative approach to solving customer problems.

Employees had developed the successful habits that fueled this growth. There wasn’t a customer problem for which they couldn’t design a solution. Until recently, margins had been attractive, timelines flexible and customers put greater emphasis on design and functionality instead of price. And then things changed.

The company’s customer base, its bread and butter, came under intense competitive pressure. Projects began to be delayed, budgets were cut, and competitors began offering similar solutions at a lower price. John saw the need for change. The company needed to begin offering more standard solutions, get projects designed more quickly and do it at a lower cost. At the same time, the company had to be on the lookout for new opportunities and innovation that would attract those larger margins they enjoyed previously.

The problem was that the workforce didn’t respond. They continued to behave in the same way as they always had. Their habits were well entrenched. The trance they were in was difficult to break. Only now, with a consistent and persistent message being communicated are employees starting to adapt to the new business realities.

Habits of Behavior Are Like a Subconscious Trance

As Dr. Peter DeShane and I spent time developing an audio persuasion program for quality professionals this week, an insight emerged. While most people would like to believe that their conscious mind drives most of their behaviors, in reality, most elements are controlled by the subconscious.

Each habit we have, from how we get ready for work in the morning, to driving to work, to checking emails, to sitting in the regular meetings we attend, to carrying out our day to day business routine are really run by our subconscious minds. You have likely had the experience of driving a familiar route and yet can’t remember what happened during the drive.

Try these two simple exercises. Clasp your hands together. Now pull them apart and re-clasp them, moving your fingers one notch lower. A little uncomfortable, isn’t it? As another experiment, next time you fill up your car with gas, instead of rounding off the price to the nearest dollar, which many people do out of habit, simply stop when the pump stops. You will find this difficult if you are used to rounding off the price. And yet, if you consistently applied these changes, they would become new habits and your subconscious would take them over. These two simple illustrations show how difficult it is for people to change their routine.

Subconscious Trance is Both a Blessing and a Curse

The fact that many parts of our existence are run on auto-pilot is both an advantage and a disability. Subconscious routines are a big time saver for us. The subconscious habits we have allow our conscious minds to be freed up to focus on other activities. Imagine having to think about digesting food, taking your next breath, or how to move your arm to dial the phone.

On the other hand, many subconscious habits keep us from adapting and growing. The trance we are in, keeps us from reaching our full potential.

Does Your Organization Need to Do the Equivalent of Quitting Smoking, Eating Right or Exercising More?

As you reflect on the habits that need to change in your organization, what behaviors need to be altered to become more successful? What do you need your team to do differently in order to capitalize on the opportunities, overcome the challenges and achieve full potential?

Taking Advantage of the ‘Back to School’ Trance

Part of Persuasion Dynamics is taking advantage of the trances that people are already in, to help them make the necessary changes to achieve best-ever results.

One cultural trance we can take advantage of is the ‘Back to School’ trance that occurs every September. We are conditioned to be more open to learning in the fall, and to a lesser extent in the new year.

Many companies take advantage of this by scheduling a management retreat, a workshop for employees and leadership training for their supervisors and managers.

You can likely reflect back yourself to something you learned at a workshop or seminar you attended. Or perhaps something you read in a book. These new habits took hold and made you more successful in your career.

How Can We Help You and Your Organization Develop More Effective Habits?

You may want to check out our Course Catalogue or have a discussion about the situation you face.

You might also consider joining the growing number of senior executives and key managers who have taken Persuasion Dynamics and learn more about how to influence people at a subconscious level to do what you want.

Call or email us and enjoy our practical, responsive approach.

(866)700-9043, info@uniquedevelopment.com