The Psychology of Change

In my last column, I described - a bit dystopically I must admit - the several stages people, and companies! - go though when they are forced to change. Either by regulations, or customer and peer pressure. This time around, I want to dig a little deeper into the real nitty-gritty that the European tape industry is wrestling with as they gear up for a greener future. This is based on first hand experience from the last months. The good thing is that I have clearly noticed that active and unprejudiced listening really paves the way to move forward.

Together.

In former columns I talked about the dead-end street of debates when no one's really, really listening. It turns out this is logical, it’s all about understanding why people, and companies, might dig their heels in when sudden green changes come knocking.

Now, I would like to peel back some other layers. Let’s start with misinformation. When feeling the heat from these green shifts, some big players earlier in the value chain are actively muddying the waters, making it tougher for everyone to see the path to environmental responsibility clearly. There a 2 books that I thoroughly? recommend you to read: Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson (note it is from 1962 already!), and Merchants of Doubt by Oreskes and Conway. There you can spot the tactics employed and hopefully make us more critical.

One other critical thing I only recently learned about, and realized the importance of, is information lag. Picture this: the people rolling out the new ideas for a more sustainable future or the next bettereconomic model (not more growth, but higher value I would advocate!) have had ages to stew over it. But for those just hearing it? It hits them like a cold splash, and bam, the walls go up, making new ideas a hard pill to swallow. When you know this, you can take people on your journey without lossing them.

And by now you know my stance on old-school beliefs—like those hardcore economic theories (hello, neoliberalism!) and how different folks handle risk. These can really make embracing new, sustainable ways hard work. But by knowing about the information lag and the beliefs, this can be handled in a graceful way. And it is working, more on this next time!

Speaking of differences, let's cruise through the tape scene. From the careful Germans to the daring Dutch, and not forgetting the - often commodity - tape makers in southern Europe, each has their own playing field, challenges, and needs. To make it fair for all, there is no one-size-fits-all, each needs to be handled independently.

So, let’s clear up the misinformation, get everyone on board, and move towards our future not just with eyes wide open, but with hearts ready to embrace the possibilities ahead. Here's to those ready to lead the charge into a brighter, greener future. Building on that spirit of unity and cooperation, let's make a genuine effort to shift from just hearing to actively listening—to really understand. It's about creating a space where every voice can contribute, not just to tick a box, but to forge real connections and solutions together. As we rally to get everyone on board, let's extend an open invitation for collaboration and co-creation. By engaging in meaningful discourse and valuing diverse perspectives, we can discover that, sometimes, one plus one really does make three. This isn't just about adding up numbers; it's about multiplying our collective potential.

After all, the challenges we face affect us all, and it’s only together that we can find the truly transformative solutions our industry, and our world, need.

Thanks to Waltraud Gl?ser (https://www.waltraudglaeser.de ) and Spyros Kollas (see e.g. https://www.dhirubhai.net/comm/newsletters/7132646013147709441 ) for the inspiring discussions that makes me learn and grow and understand the VUCA

(Article appeared in German in Dicht! 2024-2: https://www.isgatec.com/pdf/?file=%2Fmedia%2Fouohfue2%2Fdicht-2-2024-interaktiv.pdf&page=50 )