Overcoming the Comfort Zone Syndrome
or
Teaching an Old Dog a New Trick

Let’s face facts…The biggest barrier to most people embracing and using online collaboration tools and software has little to do with the technology itself.  By and large, the technology exists (e.g. Sitescape, eRooms, Caucus, QuickSpace, WebCrossing, WebEx, Placeware, SharePoint, etc.) to do a good job in enabling people to collaborate via the web. 

Sure, some software is better than others. And, it is also true that there isn’t one software package on the market that contains the complete set of online collaboration tools needed by most workgroups. .. (not yet anyway)  Moreover we can all rest assured that the continuous pursuit of the “sliver-bullet” suite of software tools will continue.  Not to say that pursuit of the perfect software tools is a bad thing.  It is a good thing.  People can always use better tools. 

However, holding on to the fantasy that software is the answer to all our problems flies in the face of what anyone who has worked in the online collaboration world for more than two weeks knows to be the truth.  The truth is that the biggest barrier is to overcome is people’s (especially adult’s) natural resistance to change—the kind of change that requires people to overcome old attitudes and work habits and embrace new ways of doing things. 

For those readers who have dared to introduce even minor changes into the workplace you know how powerful people’s natural resistance to change can be in thwarting even the best intentioned and useful new ideas.  Moreover, there seems to be a direct correlation between the degree of “discomfort” brought about by the change being implemented and the degree or resistance to the change.  For the majority of people and work teams, the introduction of online collaboration technology (email excepted) represents a pretty significant change in how people relate to each other and how work gets done.  So, it goes without saying, that if people are asked to relate and do work in ways that are not familiar to them there is a good chance they will get pretty uncomfortable and resist the change.  The purpose of this article is to share some thoughts and ideas that we have found useful in helping our clients overcome this natural resistance to change.

To achieve this purpose the remainder of the article is divided into two parts.  The first part will address some of the psychology behind the challenge of changing behavior.  With the second part discussing some strategies you can test out in your efforts to help people incorporate online collaboration tools into their day-to-day work.

Part I  The Psychology of Comfort Zones

A concept we have found helpful in developing a better understanding of the challenge of overcoming people’s natural resistance to the kinds of shifts in thinking and behavior required to successfully incorporate online collaboration tools into day-to-day ways of working is Maxwell Maltz’s notion of “ comfort zones.”  In his early work in creating what came to be known as “Self-Image Psychology” Maltz developed the concept of comfort zones as a way to answer the age-old question:  Why is it so difficult for human beings to make and sustain changes in their behavior (even when they say they want to.)?

In essence, Maltz defines a comfort zone as the range of experience, behavior or performance that we perceive as consistent with our self image.  Maltz goes on to define our self image as our own perception/belief about who we are, what we believe we can do and where we belong.  Moreover, Maltz  asserts that our self-image is formed through our life experiences, training and conditioning. 

Our self-image and habitual behavior/thinking patterns are two sides of the same coin.  Just as our self-image is formed and reinforced through our life experience our attitudes, habits and skills are formed the same way—through conditioning and repetition.  It has been said that attitudes are established ways of thinking.  Habits are established ways of doing.  As it turns out, habits and attitudes are equally difficult to change.  Changing either or both requires a healthy and sustained dose of consciousness, motivation and hard work.

“So what?” you ask yourself.  Here is the kicker.  Maltz believes (and experience certainly seems to bear it out) that anytime a person is confronted with a situation or finds themselves performing in ways that is out-side of their comfort zone they do one or more of the following:

1. Creatively avoid the situation altogether by finding every good reason in the world why the shouldn’t have be/go there
   
   Have you ever heard anything like this: 
   
   “Why do I have to use this stupid message board instead of email?”  “I just learned email.”  “Besides email’s better.”  “I can’t tell you why… I’m just more comfortable using it.” In this case, the comfort zone is one of familiarity or,
   
   "I'm not comfortable trying to have a relationship where you don't actually see the person." Here, the discomfort may stem from one's ability to use cues available in a richer environment (F2F), and more limited ability to read the less rich cues available at a distance.  Or,
   
   "It's all too complicated." For many non-computer facile folks, or just folks that type slowly, online teams and communities can feel like "more work," and puts one's focus on the tool rather than what it's for. It's like asking a lawyer who always dictated memos to start typing them. He/she focuses on the typing, rather than the memo.  Or,
   
   "I don't like my accountabilities and performance being visible to everyone on the team." This may be "uncomfortable" in the sense that it creates stress and pressure on the person to perform - in front of everyone, so to speak.  Or,
    
2. Work hard to bring as much of the old situation into the new situation?
   
   Have you ever seen people pay lip-service to using new tools but on-the-sly do all their work using the old ones. One of my favorite examples takes place in dispersed marketing team.  The established practice prior to using web-conferencing software was to have conference calls where each of the participants had a printed Power Point “deck” in front of them.  With the advent of using the web-conferencing software the practice of FedExing the 30 very expensive color copy PowerPoint presentations was no longer necessary.  However, the members of the team (the boss in particular) was just not comfortable unless the had the hard copy deck in front of them.  It is kind of like buying a tractor and then hitching your horse to it.
    
3. Try the new behavior for a while but revert back to old ways of being and doing as soon the “boss” quits paying attention or they run out of “will-power.”[bb3] 

Any one who has tried to lose weight knows this one.  It often goes like this: 

• My self-image is that I weigh 190 pounds but my goal is to be at 175 pounds.
• I go on a diet (i.e. not eating like the person I see myself to be.)
• I spend $500 for the latest-greatest exercise equipment (Exercising is definitely not me.)
• I gut it out and lose the 15lbs (Hooray for me!)                        
• I go back to eating and not exercising  like my old self and gain the weight back in three months
• Exercise equipment turns into $500 clothes rack in the bedroom.

Is keeping the weight off  a knowledge and skills issue? No, it is a self-image and comfort zone issue!

How often have we seen the same thing happen with collaboration technology?

• Team leader get’s the notion that using collaboration technology would be “cool.”
• Team leader rushes out and “buys” collaboration tools. (Before carefully thinking through the issues involved in introducing these kinds of tools)
• Team leader forces the team to try this wierd stuff with no real training or support.
• Team uses it for a while. (As long as the boss does.)
• Team Leader loses interest and goes on to the next new thing.
• Collaboration Tools are passed on to the “colloboration/virtual community junkies and are never heard of again.

It is important to keep in mind that everything discussed above describes natural human behavior.  Unfortunately, in far too many cases, when introducing new collaboration tools (which, let’s face it are new ways of helping people their work) a major piece of what it is going to take to have people overcome the natural comfort zone issues is left out of the implementation process.  No wonder the success rate is so low.  The rest of the article will address approaches for reconciling the comfort zone challenge.

Part II  Teaching an Old Dog a New Trick-Strategies for overcoming the “Comfort Zone” challenge.

Strategy #1 – Introduce change at a pace that minimizes discomfort.

At Collaboration Architects, we have applied this approach in several ways.

• Ask people to participate in periodic online surveys or decision processes using a tool like GroupMind Express.  This way people are able to have a positive experience using online collaboration tool thereby building their receptivity to experimenting with new ways of doing things.
• Conduct a simple presentation or staff meeting using a web conferencing tool something like NetMeeting, WebEx or Web Demo.  Because web conferencing tools are only asking people to take a baby-step from a conference call to using application sharing software once again people are not being asked to operate to far from their comfort zones.

Strategy #2 – Educate & Involve People in the Design of the Online Workspace

An important part of helping people to modify their comfort zones and habitual ways of doing things is to help them see themselves working in new ways.  Unfortunately, most organizations use the “Build it and they will come” approach.  We have found it much more effective to involve the workgroup who will be using the online work environments we build for clients to be involved on the front end in the design of the space.  In these design sessions we are able to both educate the potential users on the different kinds of tools available to them helping to dispel people’s fears and apprehensions. More important, by using this approach people start to visualize what is possible for themselves and begin to take ownership for its success. 

Strategy #3 – Provide “Training-Wheels” Coaching Support for Three Months

Because it is only natural for people to gravitate back to their old comfort zones we have found it critical to the success of implementing online workspaces that coaching for the team leader and team members is made available.  We have found that it takes about three months of “right use” of the workspace for it to become a new habit for people.  Less than three months and you are taking your chances.

It goes without saying that the Team Leader’s comfort, capability and commitment to using these new tools is the “lynch-pin” to the whole process.  Therefore, weekly check-in meeting are conducted between the team leader and one of our consultants to discuss what is and what isn’t working and develop ideas for making improvements.    We have also found it useful to have one of our consultants monitor the online workspaces on a daily basis so immediate feedback and coaching can be initiated as needed on our part.

Strategy #4 – Remove the ability to go back to the old comfort zone.

Safeway used this strategy a number of years ago quite successfully when it was replacing the old cash registers and installing the new price scanners in the checkout stands.  The approach they used was to come in the night before and take out all the cash registers. In the morning they conducted a training of the cashiers on how to use the new equipment.  Because the cashiers could not go back to the old way of doing things and, the customers weren’t going away, they were up and proficient within days. 

Although the Safeway story is a great example of removing the ability to recreate one’s comfort zone it is not quite practical for most of us in the online collaboration world.. 

Never-the-less, several of our clients have come up with some pretty creative ways to address the comfort zone issue..

• One of our favorite clients calls herself the “online workspace fascist.”  She does one simple thing to get her team members to use the project discussion forum instead of email.  Whenever she receives and email from a team member on related to a project included in the space she sends it back and asks the person to post their comments in the appropriate discussion forum.  For the first week or so she got resistance.  But since she was the boss, people quickly complied.  Now it is a new habit.
• Another client makes sure that all important documents relevant to his teams work is posted in the space and no where else.  This approach requires people to go to the workspace to get current information.
• This strategy requires real commitment and creativity on the part of the Team Leader.

Conclusion

Someone once made the comparison between helping people learn new ways of working to teaching and old dog a new trick.  Some people believe that teaching an old dog a new trick is almost impossible.  Our experience is different.  As you can see, each of these strategies requires careful thought and commitment to execution.  While it is true that it is not easy to teach an old dog a new trick.  Our experience is that with a well thought out implementation strategy and a “boss” who is willing to do what it takes to execute the strategy people can and do quickly overcome their comfort zone challenges and begin to embrace the use of online workspaces.  Besides, who appreciates a new trick better than an old dog? 

Hopefully, having a better understanding of comfort zones and what you can do to address it will be useful to you in your efforts to introduce online collaboration technology to your organization or clients.

John Darling
Collaboration Architects
March 2002

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