If you have wrestled with accountability issues for long, you have probably considered the impact of constant organizational change. How do you encourage people to commit to goals if the landscape keeps changing. Recent political events provide an important clue.

In the last U.S. Presidential contest, it appeared to any student of politics that Hillary Rodham Clinton was destined to become the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States. But as events unfolded, Barrack Obama entered the race and staged a dramatic win of the Presidency. At issue from a broader perspective were two questions:

1. Should the U.S. stay the course with the Republican agenda or commit to a new set of goals under a Democratic agenda to address what remains a sea of economic and social turmoil?
2. If the U.S. citizenry commits to become accountable for an array of bailouts and belt-tightening under the new Democratic agenda, should we elect Clinton or Obama?

Interestingly, the Democratic candidates' positions on the issues were very similar. However, their respective messages were vastly different – not in what they said, but in the way they said it. Obama told stories -- about his early childhood, his mother, his time at Harvard Law School, and his time as a political organizer working the old Chicago neighborhoods. Clinton spouted facts, and she had an amazing grasp of the facts behind the issues. But it is this contrast, facts versus stories, that made the difference in the campaign. Obama’s stories allowed him to connect with voters at an emotional level; Clinton’s facts appealed to our cognitive side. But if your goal is to get people to change their mind about something and to become accountable for a new agenda, you are better off starting with an emotional connection. Here’s why.

Presentation Order is Key
In his recent book, “The Secret Language of Leadership”, Stephen Denning argues that the order in which you give people information greatly influences how they think. He suggests that excellent leaders use a powerful model that first connects them with listeners emotionally, through stories, and then presents them with the reasons for change. Here is what he means.

In a traditional presentation model – which we were all taught as children – you define the problem, analyze the issues and the impact, and, then, recommend a solution. But if you want people to change, the traditional model does not work. The problem is something called confirmation bias. When we think we know something to be an objective truth, we automatically conclude that if opposing evidence is presented there must be something wrong with the source. This happens because of the way the brain processes information. When we see, hear, smell or touch things, the data is compared with existing pathways in the brain. Our brains are hardwired to detect errors. So if some data does not match with our existing circuits, the brain shouts – DANGER, DANGER – or the equivalent. And we suspect the source of the information is in error.

Supporting Research
In 1979, a Stanford psychologist by the name of Charles Lord ran some experiments to determine what happens when people are presented with conflicting information. He assembled 24 proponents of capital punishment and 24 opponents and presented each group with research that refuted their beliefs. What he found was that both sides found arguments to support their original thinking. At Emory University in Atlanta, brain scans done during similar conflicting information experiments revealed that the rational part of the brain was not engaged at all – just the emotional centers. And when individuals came to a conclusion that confirmed their original belief, their reward centers kicked in. As a result, the original thought was reinforced and no change in beliefs occurred. You have no doubt heard that "seeing is believing." But the research shows the opposite -- believing is seeing.

Getting a Change in Beliefs
So how do you get people to think differently and embrace change? Denning found that effective leaders construct presentations in a distinctive three-part pattern. First, they get the attention of the audience. Second, they stimulate a desire for a different future. Third, they reinforce the desired future with reasons why it will work.

The first step – getting attention – is necessary because people will be preoccupied with their own thoughts and activities. And the best way to get their attention is to personalize the message and give them something to identify with at an emotional level. Stories about people in similar situations who found a better way are the right kind of stories. Also useful are stories that champion the underdog because most people root for the underdog. Next, help people see a new future -- one that is desirable. Martin Luther King was a compelling story teller. In perhaps his most famous address, the “I have a dream” speech, he invited people to come along as he explored his vision for the future. To see the future you describe, people have to believe it is attainable. The proof is best that illustrates how it has been done before, or why it is possible to create for the first time.

Finally, reinforce the vision with reasons. The decision to change is an emotional one – that decision is a mental mindset to look at strange ideas with an open mind – but the ideas must still be supported. If you provide the reasons first, you risk that people will question your credibility and tune you out. However, if you first garner attention, illustate a compelling future that people want, then illustrate how it can be realized, then -- and only then -- will the intellectual reasons for the change and its benefits make sense. In addion, your reasons should be presented as stories because people everywhere identify more directly with stories than with lists of facts. Stories give your argument punch and provide an emotional appeal. In your stories, you must describe what the change is, how it will benefit the characters in your stories, and how the change will be implemented between the now and the not yet.

In summary, three steps are required to help people see and adopt a change in belief. First, get their attention and create an emotional bond. Two – elicit a desire to change by helping people visualize the future and how it will benefit them. Third – provide the supporting reasons for change. To do this well, you have to master the audience’s story – understand exactly where they are coming from. You also have to cultivate narrative intelligence and commit to telling authentically true stories. Once you do that, you are on your way to making change happen – maybe even running for president.

Joel H. Head, Business Coach, is Managing Partner of Headwinds Ltd. He is a former partner with Ernst & Young, LLC and a Principle with Mercer HR. For the past 15 years, he has been writing and speaking about, and leading workshops on strategy and employee accountability. He is the author of the forthcoming eBook, How to Build Workplace Accountability. For more information, visit his website, Accountable-Workplace