on being a change maker

[Guest guest]

Sounds familiar....

 

This appeared on another list (not related to dogs at all) and I

think it applies to lots of things, though where food is involved, in

my experience, many people get stuck at attack and absorb, just short

of utilize.

____

On Being a Change Maker

 

By Karen <http://www.clickertraining.com/user/9> Pryor on 11/01/1998

 

Filed in - Karen's Articles <http://www.clickertraining.com/karens_articles>

 

 

So you've become a <http://www.clickertraining.com/glossary#term205>

clicker trainer. Naturally you are very excited. You want other people

around you to stop using <http://www.clickertraining.com/glossary#term244>

punishment-based methods and start clicking. So you introduce the clicker at

your dog club or high school or wherever you are using it. And guess what:

people not only don't change, they get mad at you.

 

What do you do now?

 

Here's a biologist's look at the process of making changes.

 

What people do when you start to institute a change (in chronological order)

 

1. Ignore you

 

2. Pretend to agree but actually do nothing

 

3. Resist, delay, obstruct

 

4. Openly attack you (the dangerous phase, but also a sign that change

is starting)

 

5. Absorb

 

6. Utilize

 

7. Take credit

 

8. Proselytize

 

What people say in the process of accepting the change

 

1. " That might work for your population but not for mine. " (absorbing)

 

2. " I can use it but not for anything important. " (absorbing and

utilizing)

 

3. " Some of my people can use it if they feel they need to. "

(utilizing)

 

4. " Oh yes, we've been doing that for years, it's quite good. "

(utilizing and taking credit)

 

5. " We've come up with a really incredible program, you should try it. "

(taking credit and proselytizing)

 

How the change maker can react effectively

 

1. When they ignore you, find allies and persist.

 

2. Don't be misled by lip service. Find allies and persist.

 

3. Meet resistance with persistence. Move around the resistance; try

other avenues.

 

4. The stage of open attack is a touchy time. People can get fired, for

example. Keep your head down, but persist. Don't take the attack personally,

even if it is a personal attack. Attack is information; it tells you:

a) You're getting somewhere: change IS happening, causing

<http://www.clickertraining.com/glossary#term222> extinction-induced

aggression.

b) Your attacker is frightened. Empathize.

c) Your attacker still believes in the efficacy of aversives.

 

5. Absorbing and utilizing: this stage can last a year or more.

Maintain generous schedules of

<http://www.clickertraining.com/glossary#term247> reinforcement.

 

6. They're taking credit for your idea? By all means, let them; your

goal is the change. Credit is a low-cost

<http://www.clickertraining.com/glossary#term248> reinforcer and people who

want it don't satiate. Give it away in buckets.

 

7. Are they pitching the change? Good. If you want to change something

else, you now have new allies.