There is a tendency among leaders to drive transformation using plans, dashboards and steering committees. But the job of transformation leaders isn’t just delivering milestones. A big part of the work is choreographing people’s emotional experience.
This is because emotional contagion is a powerful thing.
Elaine Hatfield’s research shows that emotions can spread through an organization as people unconsciously mirror the emotions of those around them. A group of excited early adopters can lift the energy of the organization. In contrast, one powerful skeptic can do the opposite and drain that energy.
Emotional contagion is really powerful when it is combined with another powerful social force; i.e. social proof. Robert Cialdini showed that people are far more likely to support an initiative when they see others doing it; especially people they trust.
This is why early wins that are visible and credible matter so much. They provide proof that our new initiative works and create positive emotional contagion. They make people feel hopeful, energized and curious.
But emotional contagion cuts both ways. In fact, negative emotions spread faster than positive ones. One unresolved fear can outweigh several presentations by leaders. This is why we have to choreograph the emotional experience:
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Make early wins visible
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Tell stories that elevate people’s energy
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Select change champions whose enthusiasm is contagious
This is really important when we are trying to create the kind of momentum that inspires people to join our initiative.