When making changes a powerful reinforcer comes in the form of stories.
I’ve written Nuggets about the importance of story telling during your job interviews, but this same sense of importance and symbolism applies when introducing changes into a corporation. These stories, though, have a slight twist. They are more like case studies and executive summaries of what works and by whom.
These stories also serve as good psychological rewards for employees who are finding ways to make change work. Imagine hosting a meeting and having one or several employees tell their colleagues what they did to make the desired new process work or work better. That serves as a powerful case study and as a powerful testimonial.
Once the employee has told his or her story at one or several meetings, have a forum on which those success stories can be stored and featured, but make it easily accessible so others can replicate their solutions or approaches.
Though it need not be a direct component of the story telling because, as I’ve said above, the mere act of being selected to cite the case study or experience is, of its own, a psychological reward. However, to jazz it up a bit more, consider adding a small gift, a gift card, or something tangible such as a small trophy.
