Toast Note - 8 September 2017

Resistance is futile, said the Borg – memorably right before they got blown to bits. Resistance isn’t futile. In my opinion, resistance is nature’s way of saying slow down. 

What I really resist is the phrase, “People resist change.” I call bullshit on that one. We actually love change. We like new things – fresh car smell, spring blossoms, kittens and puppies and clean babies (not the groddy ones). We get married and move house and go to schools and colleges. We buy new furniture and replace the curtains and slap up a coat of paint. We try new recipes and read books by authors we’ve never heard of and go to movies on nothing more than the recommendation of a friend. 

Change isn’t the problem. People resist being told what to do. If you ordered me to paint the living room and replace the curtains, I would tell you to piss off. No amount of yammering on and on about how good they are for me is going to get me to eat brussel sprouts; They taste like ass. Your WIIFM about the increase in the ferry toll doesn’t make me feel any better about it when you raise the rates, and no comms is going to change my opinion on the topic so there.

So I want to push back on the Change Profile of “Richard the Resistor”. Really? Or does this magical composite character really just not like what you’re doing because it sucks? Maybe he doesn’t like it because your WIIFM isn’t his WIIFM. Maybe your explanation doesn’t feel authenticate or doesn’t relate to other things you’ve tried to push out or the stated organisational purpose. Before we spend a lot of time, resource and energy trying to overcome Dick’s resistance, how about we first figure out why he’s telling us to slow down.