What A Man Named John Snow Can Teach Us About Changing the Mind of Leaders
What’s the old line? We have met the enemy and it is us?
I just finished reading The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson. It’s about a cholera epidemic in London, 1854.
At that time, the predominant theory for how cholera spread was miasma—something in the air that smelled bad and infected people.
Sometimes “The Book” is wrong
There were plenty of reasons to believe it was true. London was essentially an open sewer and we’re conditioned toward a strong response to a bad smell. (Think about it). Furthermore, the people who thought this were not stupid. And they weren’t traditionalists. In fact, many of the people who were certain—certain—that miasma caused cholera were high-level intellectuals who had “disrupted” (in today’s terms) other long-standing beliefs. This one just seemed self-evident.
The only thing is that they were wrong.
John Snow believed that the cause of the cholera problem was in the water. Of course, he was right. He developed the evidence and he proved it, and the traditionalists didn’t even doubt themselves. He was persistent, developed better data and views changed and history is on his side.
"Internal resistance to change; lack of recognition that the world is changing," said one respondent, while another lamented “my organization isn’t comfortable being uncomfortable, making adapting to change a timely and costly process.” Source PR Week Bellwether Study.
I suspect you have felt like John Snow talking to your C-Suite or board. You’re talking to smart, accomplished people who are might be dinosaurs or out of touch. You’re right (of course) but you can’t get them to listen. Meanwhile, actions (and inaction) have consequences. And you’re likely to be held accountable for them.
Three Ideas to Sell Good Strategy to Leaders
Here a couple ideas that I have found work in this situation.
Take a page out of John Snow’s playbook and use data. This is an example of where the profession is heading in a helpful direction. People in today’s c-suite are used to solving for x with data. If you have data to establish your case, it will make it much easier. Importantly, the idea isn’t to research a specific problem. The idea is to proactively collect data on the key priorities that will help you tell your story.
A second concept that I have found useful is the idea of “control.” As in control the narrative, control the story, control the messaging. This is something that makes sense to company leaders and to communicators. We want to set the terms, be transparent, be proactive…and avoid being responsive and defensive. Framing an issue like this gets everyone on the same page.
A third idea—and this is a mix of both—is to recommend a strategy with real-time monitoring. Take an approach and “see how it goes.” The “agile” approach also appeals to leaders who are used to making mid-course corrections and creates additional control and comfort for them. You’re a pilot, not a guy who jumped off a cliff. Implicit in this is an action plan should whatever the CEO fears will happen actually happens.
In the end, the point is that challenging orthodoxy is a challenge and it always will be. The orthodoxy didn’t get there by accident. Furthermore, people supporting the orthodoxy are probably smart and educated—they’re just on the wrong side of this one. It can feel lonely to be John Snow. It can also be a chance for you to make a singular contribution.