Culture - Intertwingled: Information Changes Everything - page 91

Since culture is very difficult to change, focus most of your energy on identifying the assumptions that
can help you. Try to see your culture as a positive force to be used, rather than a constraint to be over-
come . cxv
To identify opportunities for cultural jujitsu, a multi-level approach is most useful. If our design
invites resistance from the corporate culture, for instance, perhaps we can look to an organiza-
tional subculture or the national culture or human nature for support. Also, rather than limit
ourselves to a single tactic, we must embrace multiple ways of changing.
Figure 4-9. Multiple ways of changing.
Often, our first tactic for making change is information . To improve diets, we tell kids about the
links between donuts, soda, obesity, and diabetes. To improve efficiency, we inform staff about
new procedures or values. These educational interventions draw upon the power of authoritat-
ive information to change minds and behavior. While this tactic works well sometimes, it's eas-
ily thwarted by established habits and assumptions. People tend to deny data that proves incon-
venient truths unless the driving forces (burning platform, external threat, positive vision) are
greater than the restraining forces (self-justification, fear of change, cultural inertia).
To offset defensiveness, we may need to guide folks through a U-shaped process that makes
room for learning through unlearning. By observing the system and mapping the whole, we un-
freeze beliefs and open minds. We help folks understand the context and consequences of their
actions.