Only people who feel compelled by great forces
achieve great things. —Brett Clay

A basic principle of physics is that the larger the force applied to a body of a given mass, the faster it will accelerate. Similarly, the stronger a person experiences a force, the quicker the person will respond to it and the faster the person will make the change.

The key word is “experiences.” People generally experience forces in the following phases or levels:

1. Awareness. A person must be aware and “mindful” that the force exists. If a person’s mind is occupied with something else, the person may not even become aware of the force.
2. Appraisal. The person appraises the force’s size and urgency and makes an initial judgment about the appropriate response. Does it merit an immediate “fight-or-flight” response, or at the other end of the spectrum, does it merit no response?
3. Intellectualized. The person develops an “intellectual,” unemotional understanding of the force. For example, when you read about a natural disaster that destroys people’s homes, you are intellectualizing the event.
4. Internalized. The person feels the force at a deep emotional and cognitive level. It is the “a-ha” moment. It is the full appreciation that can only be gained by actually surviving the natural disaster and seeing your own house destroyed.

First, determine at what level the customer is experiencing the force. Then, try to guide the customer through awareness, appraisal, and intellectualizing by asking questions. For example, “What do you think about that?” “How is that affecting you?”

Assess the person’s level of internalization by asking, “How do you feel about that?” You have limited influence over internalization, so you may have to wait patiently. For example, how can you get someone fully to internalize, say, the importance of auto insurance until they have been involved in an accident? In some cases, you may even want to use internalization as a way to qualify prospects.

Of course, as a change leader, you want the customer to experience the force as strongly as possible. Be creative, but ethical, in identifying ways to raise the customer’s awareness, help the customer perform an accurate appraisal, develop a complete understanding, and fully appreciate the magnitude of the force.

Identify at what level the force is being experienced. Determine the perceived strength of the force. Reinforce the force