By Donna Howes, CHRP

Can you recall much of your terrible twos?  No?  Me neither.

The reason for the question is, in a strange and very human way, that phase of our lives bears a passing similarity to the unconscious tantrums we can throw when asked to change.

Often—well more than often—we just don’t want to change.  In a sense, we take a psychological stance that can look a great deal like ‘stamping our feet until we get what we want.’

Understanding why we do what we do, when we do it, has been a 25-year collaborative research career for Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey, Harvard psychologists and authors who are redefining change leadership by exploring the hidden ways we impede progress in our own, and our organizational lives.

In their 2001 book, How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work, they encouraged us to solve the perplexing gap between what we intend for ourselves, and what we are able to accomplish.  They examined our inner landscapes, bringing to light emerging theories on adult learning that help us change the way we work through the language we use.

In their most recent work, Immunity to Change, they go deeper to challenge our hidden assumptions and mental models that keep us stuck; then introduce a practical learning tool to help us unlock the potential in ourselves and our organizations.

When it comes to change: desire and motivation aren’t enough
You only have to read the Immunity to Change book jacket to be reminded that desire and motivation alone won’t necessarily ensure the success of a change initiative — even when it’s a matter of life or death.

“A recent study showed that when doctors tell heart patients they will die if they don’t change their habits; only one in seven will be able to follow through successfully.”

Their work reveals how our individual beliefs — together with the collective mindsets within organizations — naturally combine to create a powerful, protective response which ‘immunizes’ us to change.  By revealing how this mechanism — this immunity to change —holds us back, they give us the keys to unlock our potential and finally move forward.

At the heart of their work is an ‘Immunity Map’, a learning tool that makes our ‘invisible assumptions’ visible and enhances our ability to ‘see’ into ourselves and to ‘act’ more effectively.

As with many life-changing journeys, mapping our immunities starts with a fearless inventory of what is and isn’t working.

The Immunity Map – knowing what is really worth changing
My first Immunity Map was created during a 3-hour workshop with Dr. Kegan at an International Coaching Federation Conference.  There were 200-plus of us in the room — a mix of those who were familiar with his work, and those to whom it was an unknown but intriguing framework.

Those three hours were indelible — and here’s why.

Once he had outlined the foundations of his research and taken us through the Immunity Map, it was time for us to get real.  “Ask yourself this question,” he said. “Given the challenges I face now, and those I am likely to face in the future, if I could make significant improvement on just one thing (in my work life or private life), what would be the single most valuable thing for me to get better at?”

“Pick one thing,” he’d asked.  Just one, I thought!

What’s interesting is that I was able to quickly list five things I wanted to stop putting up with and start dealing with more effectively.  This is where Kegan upped the ante by asking us to find an accountability partner.

Then he laid out some ground rules for our new dyads.  As the listener, our role was to be present and curious.  As the speaker, our role was to decide how much we wanted to share.

When I went over my five improvement goals with my accountability partner, I connected with the one goal that turns out to matter a lot to me and that if it were different, would change pretty much everything.

By the end of the workshop I understood what was making me anxious, what I’d put in place to immunize myself (protect myself) from the big-time-bad things I’d assumed would happen if I did do something differently, and… well, you get the picture.

My takeaways?

1. I had some pretty firmly held (well hidden) assumptions that kept me ‘safe’ from change
2. I can see how growth and change is possible once invisible assumptions become visible making way for new connections and meanings.
3. It helps to have a map to follow!

Does this work with teams and organizations as well?
Yes say Kegan and Lahey.  In working with organizations, they recommend that the leader have some skin in the game if they want their team/organization to change.  They’ve shown that when a leader has a personal experience of discovering their ‘immunities’ they’re able to shift from merely sponsoring the work (in their organization or on their team) to being able to champion it from an authentic place when the inevitable push-back surfaces.

Good news for HR and change agents who so often find themselves asking, “Why is it so difficult for us to bring about lasting changes we genuinely, even urgently need?”

Donna Howes, CHRP, CEC, is principal of Humanity at Work and Vice-President of the BC Organization Development Network.

The BC Organizational Development Network invites you to Do Our Minds Really Have a Mind of Their Own? on June 14 and Exploring & Uncovering the Immunity to Change on June 15. Both learning events are in Vancouver and feature Robert Kegan in Vancouver June 14 and June 15. Register online or contact info@bcodn.org.