Cutting through roadblocks to change

by Cathy Atkins

June 30,2007

Smart Thinking

What happens the first time you try a new selling technique? It's usually uncomfortable and doesn't go as smoothly as it did in the seminar—or the way you imagined it would go. Often trying a new selling technique results in a less-than-satisfying outcome.

There are physiological reasons for this discomfort and awkwardness.

When you see or hear something new, your brain goes through a conscious process of evaluating whether that new behavior or mode of thinking has any potential payoff, and you form an expectation about what might happen next. It's the "self talk" we all do, to weigh pros and cons and then comment (to ourselves) about how the new idea is like, or not like, something we already know about (whether good or bad).

At the same time, and at a much faster rate, the brain performs a self-test to see how well this new idea would fit with all the pre-existing patterns in the subconscious part of the brain. If there is a conflict, we get an uncomfortable gut feeling or hear an inner voice say something like "no way"—usually before we've completed the conscious evaluation. If the warning is loud enough, we usually say, "that might work for them" or "maybe in another industry, but that's not going to work for me," and we drop the idea and move on. If it's only slightly uncomfortable, we might say, "I need to do better, and this could work." Then there is an opportunity for change.

So what's really going on in our heads? To ensure survival, the brain primarily operates using subconscious information. Rather than evaluate every interaction with the world as if it is a new event, the brain has a process to react efficiently and reliably to most events. This process is built on neural pathways called basal ganglia. These networks of signal transmitters are nourished and grow with use. As signals pass through them, they grow, and their ability to perform the next time they are needed improves—much like the charging of a car battery so we can depend on it without worry or thought every time we turn the key.

This physical attribute is also a natural form of self-preservation. The transmitter doesn't care if it's transmitting a good thought or a bad thought; it just performs better with every use. Ever wonder why we occasionally do or say something inappropriate even though we know instantly that it was wrong? Welcome to the power of basal ganglia.

Change is not going to take effect until we find a way to charge up some new pathways and begin allowing the old ones to fade. When high-performing sales professionals and executives are interviewed, it's interesting to hear them describe how they have dealt with adapting or changing some of their habits. A defining moment occurs when a salesperson learns a new idea and feels very uncomfortable but is able to finish the conscious evaluation rather than succumb to the discomfort.

Sales pros often tell us about special moments when they did something on a sales call that felt risky—even dangerous—but only after admitting to themselves that to do things the way they always had would not close the gap. Their stories don't tell of instant miracles or always have happy endings. They leave the sales calls knowing that they are going to have to work on their skills and then they find a forum to get good at it. What they are actually doing is growing new basal ganglia and charging up the neural pathways. There is no failure—only feedback. Learn, regroup, and try again.

Challenge yourself to take back conscious control of what happens in your own brain. Don't let other people or experiences tell you what to think about something in the future. Nothing changes until you do. The best way to grow is to monitor your associations. Find a team of "Way Showers" and "True Believers"—people who can show you the way because they've been there and people who believe in you at the times when you don't believe in yourself. Learn from these people, and challenge yourself to grow. You are capable of so much more than you think.

Think big.

Popularity: 13% [?]