102 PART II Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap
this and saw that the leader was there to learn and to answer ques- tions when possible, people opened up.
I had a client who moved to a new lab down the hall. I asked how work was going. She said great. Her new boss always seemed to know what was going on and was a conduit for her and others to get information and resources. I asked how hedid that. She told me that he leaned up against the wall, drink- ing coffee, at the place where the two hallways intersected. It was a perfect place for people to engage him and for him to engage them.
First, you’ve got to decide why there’s a gap between what you want to be able to do and what you’re doing today. Consider these five possible reasons for a gap.
Slap-Your-Head Obvious Solution
Imagine that you read the list of “things to avoid” at the beginning of this chapter and saw yourself. With a blinding flash of insight, you realized what you could do differently. (Isn’t it great when it happens that way?) When that occurs, it’s pretty easy to turn knowledge into action.
Lack of Knowledge
The thought that you need to make a case before announcing or planning a big change is unwelcome news for many leaders and often hard to under- stand. Many leaders find it hard to accept that most compelling cases are made when they both enjoy the trust of those who will be part of the change (Level 3) and believe that the need for change must grab people emotionally as well (Level 2).
Using the Cycle of Change and the three levels as lenses when you see others try to make a case for change may help emphasize the importance and complexity of making a compelling case.
Lack of Skill
Learning how to make a case that includes more than Level 1 facts and figures, and at the same time addresses Level 2 and Level 3 hopes and fears,