We know that working toward a shared purpose is core to employee engagement. We also know that being inspiring is a challenge when leaders are in survival mode. We have been pivoting and adapting for nearly two years now and the thing that falls through the cracks is that conversation about why we exist, what we are chasing, and why it matters.

Remote, hybrid, whatever - many workers of large U.S. companies have developed new habits during the pandemic - and they are resistant to give them up and return to the office. Why?

Rationality is a fetish of our modern world. We are seldom allowed by our culture to admit true irrationality as an explanation for a decision we make for our observed behaviors. Yet we are surrounded by aspects of human behavior that are irrational …

An organization, like a nation, is a group of people; a collective multitude of decisions, actions, behaviors and interactions. The observed and unobserved norms that form as a result constitute the organization’s culture. In this way, culture represents the shadow of the organization; whatever the organization does is reflected in its shadow - and that can only be changed obliquely.

Amid the seismic turmoil and bewilderment of the pandemic, the deep-seated human need to resolve uncertainty is one of the primary motivators driving human behaviors. So, what does that mean for your organizational culture? Natural selection is hard at work.

OK, so we fall for it every time. A phenomenon called “shopping momentum” occurs when a purchase provides a psychological impulse that encourages you to purchase a second, unrelated product. In other words, shopping leads to more shopping. Stores entice you with one deal to draw you in, and once you’re there, they hope you’ll be compelled to buy other items that aren’t discounted.

In every aspect of your business, pain points create unnecessary behavioral friction and produce obstacles to growth. One of the more problematic pain points in any journey or process is uncertainty, which is a powerful driver of stress. The concave graph below* illustrates the relationship of stress to uncertainty (here, the probability of a negative outcome).

Whether your organization ends up choosing a remote, onsite or hybrid workforce model, your culture has already changed - a result of the disrupted work environment (context) experienced by your people during the past 18+ months.

Inside corporations, transformation can feel like a loss. It doesn’t have to. In the thousands of interviews I’ve conducted at large corporations in the midst of transformation efforts, one theme rises to the top. Often, it’s stated exactly the same – across divisions, regions and functions. I’ve heard it at tech companies, financial firms, healthcare corporations, and manufacturers.

Customers don’t make decisions in a vacuum, or rationally. If they did, there would be no reason to have a sales or marketing department. They would just compare all options and choose optimally based on a structured, economic value equation—benefit(s) over price. But humans don’t operate this way. We choose irrationally—typically when something feels right.

Communication Context means taking into consideration the relevant circumstances before you decide what message to communicate and when to communicate it to others. With internal communications, those circumstances can determine how well your message is received by the organization – and how likely the audience will be to react positively.

They’re both great at grabbing headlines – Mr. Kim alarming the world by launching his latest explosive toys with abandon*, Mr. Bezos for alarming the world of commerce with his disruptive experiments (spaceships, drones, Whole Foods, Wardrobe, etc.) – and certainly both of them have the world wondering what’s behind all the frenzy. But look deeper, and strange similarities emerge…

Many millennials are doing something few in previous generations have done before: they’re starting to love themselves, exactly as they are. It may sound trite, but coming on the heels of Gen X’ers who are often dubbed the “low self-esteem generation,” it’s revolutionary. In fact, millennials are spending twice as much as boomers on self-care tools like diet plans, fitness memberships, therapy, and apps that focus on improving their well-being.

It’s well documented in behavioral research that faith – in anything – can blind (and bind) us from seeing the shortcomings of whatever it is we have faith in. So it is with the ubiquitous crutch of big business today – ‘BIG DATA.’

Pappy Van Winkle is the most sought after bourbon on the planet. The pre-prohibition style liquor enjoys huge demand from bourbon enthusiasts, bar owners and high-end restaurants around the world. Depending on the make and age, a bottle will run a buyer anywhere from $200 to $2,200, selling as high as $6,000 in the secondary market. That’s if you can find it.

One of the drawbacks of online shopping is the delay between buying and actually receiving a product. If we go through the hassle of driving to the store, physically sifting through sweaters or shoes and making small talk while paying for our purchase, at least we have the instant gratification of using our stuff immediately.

After a long pause, the mid-level manager leaned in and said, “Everyday, we shake the tree too much…You must plant the seed, nourish it and provide the right sunlight for the tree to grow. You must then let it flower and be unselfish in harvesting its fruit…And currently we shake the tree too much. We are too urgent and we are running out of fruit.”

Change Management is an artifact of a world that doesn’t exist, invented by management consultants to rob organizations of their money, time, morale and energy. If you’re tired of hearing the same repetitive answers to the very interesting question of how to help your organization respond to seismic change, stop drop-clicking on bullshit memes like 10 Principles of Change Management.

The truth, as seen from the perspective of people in the trenches of the organization, is the essential ingredient for leading a successful transformation. Leaders are able to close the gap between their own point of view and that of the workforce by proactively addressing employees’ real concerns, reducing friction caused by confusion or mistrust and allowing transformation efforts to move faster.

Inside large organizations, transformation is often painful. Some of that is just par for the course, but some of that hardship is self-inflicted. For the last six years, our company has helped leaders in a variety of industries communicate change internally. We’ve found a few common things that get in the way of transformation efforts. Eliminating these obstacles will ensure a faster transition with fewer pain points.