Separating the Cream from the Crap

Not far behind Seligman came Jim Collins' work and his emphasis on the importance of "getting the right people on the bus." Add to that the work of Marcus Buckingham who has urged people to discover and work from their strengths and, more recently, to align them with the functions that their company needs to succeed.

What do these changing and evolving developments in executive search, psychology and popularized business thinking imply for the busy manager? If you're trying to manage change in your company, follow Seligman's, Buckingham's and Collins' lead by identifying the right people already in your company who possess the requisite behaviors that will make change successful. Those right people are the Early Adopters. Next, give these change champions a clear playing field to put their strengths to work by clearing the Naysayers from their path. Finally, allow the momentum for change to spread virally to silence the Naysayers who would derail it.

Following these three steps will help you make it happen:

The Early Adopter Approach to Change

Step 1: Just say "Yes" to Early Adopters

Identify, select and include only the Early Adopters who:

1. See, hear, listen and consider what you tell them vs. fighting you everywhere they can
2. See change as an opportunity to improve and advance (rather than as burdensome) and act accordingly
3. Consistently demonstrate resourcefulness, commitment and follow through
4. Take the initiative to question when and what they don't understand
5. Come prepared for meetings rather than winging it or being lazy
6. Do what they say are going to do, when they say they are going to do it
7. Take full responsibility and ownership for their actions
8. Give the same effort and commitment to a fairly reached decision they disagree with as one they agree with
9. Never bring up problems unless they have taken the time to think of solutions (those who don't do this we refer to as whiners)
10. Are the right people, for the right job at the right time

Step 2: Just say "No" to Naysayers

Protect the Early Adopters from the Naysayers who can devitalize, if not suck the life out of their efforts. They are the ones who will self-select themselves out -- by either not having the qualities of the Early Adopters listed in Step 1 or worse, by possessing their polar opposites.

For example, rather than seeing change as an opportunity to be more effective and impactful, Naysayers react to it as punishment for underperformance. Or instead of taking full responsibility for their actions, they justify them, make excuses or blame others. And they almost never bring up problems with solutions.

So obstructive can Naysayers be, that when I now work with companies to help them implement change, I require that they be excluded as one of my conditions of satisfaction before I will sign on.

Step 3: Just say "Bye" to Naysayers (who keep naysaying)

Have the increased, measurable performance achieved by the Early Adopters as they embrace change speak for itself. Then have it spread organically, silence the Naysayers and eventually pressure them to step up, shut up or leave.

Stay in Denial at your own Peril

If as a manager, you're hesitant to follow these three steps, you are minimizing:

1. The corrosive effect on motivation that Naysayers can have on a company culture, performance and results
2. The lessening of respect that subordinates –- and you -- will have for you when you tolerate and enable them
3. How your effectiveness, your results and your career will suffer by not taking these actions