Leaders of organisational change and reform need to be 'Pitchmen'

The leaders of organisational change and reform must be Pitchmen. They must constantly persuade the workforce to engage intellectually with the idea of change, but most importantly, they seek a voluntary commitment to change behaviour.

This cannot be compelled; this must be won through the strength of argument and persistent communication.

In 2000, writer and essayist Malcolm Gladwell told the story of a dynasty of Pitchmen. These people identified our needs in the kitchen and sold us the Veg-O-Matic, the Dial-O-Matic, the Chop-O-Matic and the bench top Rotisserie & BBQ. The success of the Pitchmen in enticing people to purchase items they weren’t aware they needed can be distilled into five key skills. 

First, they could entertain. They captivated people with their stories. They drew them in by appealing to their curiosity. 

Second, they made sense of the gadget they were selling from the customer’s perspective. They demonstrated precisely where and how the gadget could improve the customer’s life. 

Third, the gadget was always the centre of attention. The Pitchman told the story and demonstrated that the customer’s attention was always on the gadget. 

Fourth, they recognised ‘the turn’ or the moment when the story became a sale or when marketing shifted to business. This is the moment when intellectual curiosity becomes changed behaviour. 

Finally, they could tell the same story with many different variations. The customer did not hear about the gadget once and left alone to decide whether to purchase it. The Pitchman never let up; they never lost the customer's attention. 

The leaders of organisational change and reform must be Pitchmen. They must constantly persuade the workforce to engage intellectually with the idea of change, but most importantly, they seek a voluntary commitment to change behaviour. This cannot be compelled; this must be won through the strength of argument and persistent communication. 

A random reflection on re-reading Gladwell's essay in 2016...

Thanks for taking the time to read this post.

[The views expressed here are the author’s and are not necessarily representative of those employing him, his family, or even those loosely acquainted with him.]

Sources:
Malcolm Gladwell, The Pitchman, October 30, 2000.