Sometimes the solution is right under your nose

"Creating a Shift" is devoted to reader ideas that have helped create shifts from resistance to change. If you've bad success with a particular change strategy, contact author Rick Maurer (sending him a sentence or two of description is fine), and he'll get back to you about presenting your strategy to journal readers. Ifyou have an experience or thoughts that you know others can learn from, you may reach Maurer at the phone, fax, or e-mail listed below.

SOMETIMES THE BEST WAY TO HELP CREATE A SHIFT in how people respond to a situation is to heighten their awareness of what is going on in front of them. Here's a simple and provocative example.

A nursing supervisor in a large Midwestern hospital asked for help from Bill, the institution's organization development specialist. This supervisor described her staff as "a bunch of whiny nurses." She also suggested to Bill that the nurses needed a training program to help them get over their "bad attitude."

Wisely, Bill did not take the bait. Too often, training is used when something else is needed. He suggested that he meet with the nurses and talk with them.

Bill asked the nurses to engage in conversations that focused on what was troubling them-and what they hoped for. He listened as they talked about wanting doctors to treat them better and wanting to be taken seriously.

Then he interrupted. "Throughout these meetings, you've been calling me doctor, although I've told you repeatedly that I am not one. And you always refer to yourselves by your first names. Are you doing the same thing with physicians that you do with me? If so, I wonder why you disempower yourselves."

Bill said that it got very quiet in the room. He had hit home. The nurses were now able to see how they were giving away their power.

Using the circumstances between Bill and the nurses as a barometer for the larger problem can be a powerful tool. I am amazed to see how often the same issues we discuss in meetings take place right in front of us. A group might be talking about how other departments ignore their ideas, all the while interrupting and disregarding each other's ideas. If you've never sat back and watched this phenomenon at work, try it during your next staff meeting. It's spooky.

BACK TO THE STORY ... ONCE THE NURSES recognized that they were inadvertently contributing to the problem, they were able to move on and determine what to do about it. They began to explore ways to address the issue. They talked about how they sabotaged themselves and what they needed to do differently. They talked about the need to figure out different ways of working with the doctors. Even though they were giving away some of their own power, it was also true that many doctors were treating them poorly.

Instead of holding a meeting with all the physicians, the nurses invited one doctor to meet with them. This was a doctor who had influence and could make a difference in the institution. They told the doctor about their concerns and listened to the physician's reactions and feedback. Together, they worked out some new ways of working together.

Once again, the nurses and Bill made a wise move. A meeting of two warring groups would have been contentious and probably would have worked against improved relations. A simple meeting with one doctor allowed tempers to remain relatively calm. It was easier for people to listen to each other. (Not that there weren't tense moments, but these passed without incident.)

Over time, these exchanges with the doctor had a profound effect on relationships with some of the other doctors. And that was enough to ease the tension. As relationships between the two groups improved, so did the quality of care they were able to offer patients.

Rick Maurer is author of Beyond the Wall of Resistance (Bard Press, 1996) and a consultant who specializes in helping clients build support for change. Maurer may be reached by e-mail at rick@beyondresistance.com, by phone at 703-525-7074, or by fax at 703-525-0183.

Copyright Association for Quality and Participation Jan/Feb 2000
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