Our #THREEPERCENTRULE algorithm has helped countless clients identify their informal change catalysts. Not a single executive has guessed the name of an informal catalyst. They are often surprised when we present them with the list. Why?

There are several misconceptions about change catalysts.

One of them is that they should only have positive and committed change catalysts on board in the change initiative.

We frequently hear the question:

The executive of a 500-person organization was facing this dilemma, as part of the evidence-based action plan delivered through the Change Accelerator. When she saw the list of change catalysts, she shared some context to each of the names.  Some names were unknown to her, some she knew and perceived as committed, but there was also one catalyst she perceived as negative. What now?

The executive needed to have every change catalyst on board. No matter the subjective evaluation of whether someone is positive or negative, the evidence showed that these people had an enormous informal influence on the rest of the organization. Ignoring some of the change catalysts would mean ignoring a large part of the workforce.

The executive listened to both sides of the organization. This way she understood different perceptions and was ready to accelerate and successfully deliver people-centered change!

This recommendation was founded on more than a decade of experience in what works and what does not when engaging with change catalysts.

For example, an IT company we worked with in 2015 found itself in the same situation. Evidence from the Change Accelerator analysis showed that their commitment and feelings were negative. In only four months, their negativity turned into positivity, following our action plan of continuous conversations and 1:1 listening sessions in small groups. The full case story on how they moved from no organizational vibe to transmission towers can be found in our case section.