07/29/2021

People Say 'No' When They Feel They Lack Choices

They reject requests because they feel they have no choice or autonomy

Maybe you've noticed that adults can be as bad as kids when you tell them what to do. Apparently, without conscious thought, their knee-jerk reaction is a resounding "No!" Just consider the pushback as:

• Public health officials tell people to take the COVID-19 vaccine and mask up.
• Organizations direct people to come back to the office, work from home or arrange a hybrid model.
• Bosses require people to adapt to rapid change, follow protocols like leaving on videos in virtual meetings or attend diversity, equity and inclusion training.

It all begs the question: How do leaders get people to do what needs doing without setting off an automatic negative response?

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.