"In most organizations, time is limited, stakes are high, and social dynamics are complex. Belief change can be slow and difficult. Our beliefs are tied to our identity, status, and sense of belonging. Asking people to rethink them can feel challenging, or even threatening, and cause significant resistance. We've all been in a situation where the team languidly agrees to a new initiative, only to find that weeks later, nothing has been done."
"Although seemingly counterintuitive, social psychology helps explain why this works. According to self-perception theory, people do not always act based on fixed, preexisting attitudes. Instead, they often infer what they believe by observing their own behavior, especially in situations where their beliefs are weak, ambiguous, or evolving (Bem, 1972). This means that taking action can generate evidence for new beliefs."
Leaders and change agents commonly spend effort explaining rationale, sharing research, and highlighting benefits, assuming belief change precedes action. Organizational time pressures and complex social dynamics make belief change slow and risky because beliefs link to identity, status, and belonging, provoking resistance. Research in social psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience suggests an alternative approach: start with behavior. Self-perception theory indicates people infer attitudes from their actions when beliefs are weak or ambiguous. Repeatedly performing new behaviors can generate evidence that reshapes self-concept and leads to revised beliefs and practices.
Read at Psychology Today
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