In my late twenties, I lived in Vietnam as an expatriate. I loved eating pizza and having drinks with friends, and when I returned to the corporate office in Copenhagen for my next posting, I weighed 242 pounds.

After a year in Denmark, I took a close look at myself and realized I had to change because I did not want to face the inevitable consequences of my current weight. I have seen other obese people face lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure and realized that, if I did not change, I would likely face these same obstacles. This realization motivated me to make the following changes:

Source 1: Love What You Hate — One of my biggest obstacles was changing my attitude about my weight and maintaining that point-of-view. At that time, our company had an unspoken rule that real men don’t weigh less than 220 pounds. I had to redefine normal and train myself to believe real men are healthy and not overweight. I deserved to have a healthy and energetic body that would last a lifetime.

To maintain my weight loss, I knew I had to view this change as a new lifestyle, not just a diet. I reversed my thinking by focusing on my long-term goal instead of the food I ate at each meal. I created healthy menus that also tasted good so I could stick to this plan. I knew my goal of being as healthy as I was when I was younger was attainable. Thinking of my “new identity” was a powerful motivator in weak moments.

I was further motivated by the realization that losing weight would enable me to be a role model for others and show that it is possible to change. I had seen many friends and peers die of untimely heart attacks because they did not take care of themselves, and after visiting my default future, I decided that would not be me!

Source 2: Do What You Can’t — When it came to restructuring my diet, I was fortunate that my parents had a healthy lifestyle. They taught me about the healthy behaviors I’d need to adopt in order to change my habits. I followed my parents’ example and started eating low-calorie breakfasts, lunches, and dinners as well as healthy snacks in between. My parents have always lived a healthy lifestyle—exercising daily and sticking to a healthy diet—and they taught me how to establish healthy habits and achievable goals. They taught me what a healthy lifestyle really is.

Sources 3 & 4: Turn Accomplices into Friends — I knew I needed to involve others in my weight loss efforts so they would hold me accountable. One of my colleagues weighed even more than I weighed and reached a similar realization about his lifestyle, so we started dieting at the same time. We ate lunch together every day, shared our progress, and encouraged each other to continue making healthy changes. I also connected with other colleagues and friends with similar goals to get tips and ideas for optimizing my own diet.

Source 5: Invert the Economy — I motivated myself to stay on track by introducing an important reward. As a life-long pizza lover, I rewarded myself with a pizza dinner every Saturday evening if I had stayed on track throughout the week. This weekly reward kept me motivated.

My colleague and I also made a bet. We committed to lose a minimum of forty-four pounds and determined that the loser would treat the winner to dinner. Although it was a small bet, it helped me keep my eyes on my end goal.

Source 6: Control Your Space — I knew that to make a complete change, I needed to restructure my space in a way that supported my new habits. Before, I kept junk food close by so to keep with my diet I cleaned out my house and got rid of all of my junk food, soft drinks, and candy. I threw away everything that was unhealthy, and I also stopped going out with friends and drinking alcohol.

To help me stay on track, I weighed myself every morning so I could watch my progress. This daily information kept me motivated. Over time, I began to understand that even if my weight fluctuated from week to week, a bad week with little to no weight loss might lead to a weight loss of four pounds the next week. This daily check-in kept me focused and provided me with immediate feedback on my progress to meet my ultimate goal.

By incorporating each of these small changes, I lost approximately two pounds each week, and within five months, reached my goal of losing forty-four pounds. This took place thirteen years ago, and I have since maintained my weight and my lifestyle. Eventually, I added exercise to my plan and now exercise an hour every day. Change is possible when you engage several sources of influence.

Editor’s Note: Similar stories of inspiring change will be featured in Change Anything, our upcoming book about personal change due to be released in April. If you have an inspiring story of personal change, please send it to editor@vitalsmarts.com and include “Change Anything Story” in the subject line of your e-mail.

Meet the Change Anything Challengers, three people with common challenges who are looking to make big changes in 2011.

We met these changers when they shared their story with us in the Change Anything in 2011 Challenge. Each one has struggled for years to accomplish life goals, get the promotion they deserve, or feel healthy and beautiful. Motivated by their loved ones, career goals, and personal dreams, each has committed to share their journey of change with us.

Over the next three months they will apply the science of personal change from our new book, Change Anything, to their specific challenge. They will identify the crucial moments keeping them from their goal, determine the vital behaviors that will lead to their success, and develop a six-source plan for securing the change they’ve dreamed of for years. But first…

Meet Bobby. Bobby is a decorated army veteran who has served two combat tours of duty in Iraq. The one thing keeping him from being promoted to Major and continuing to serve his country is 50 extra pounds that he can’t seem to lose. Motivated by his wife and four children who depend on the benefits of his Army career, Bobby is looking to finally lose the weight and earn the promotion he deserves.

Meet Terri. Terri has struggled for the past 20 years with her weight. But after years of struggling, she is finally ready to change. Motivated by her two beautiful daughters who have come to her asking to have a “healthy mommy”, Terri is ready to achieve her goal of losing 50 pounds.

Meet Steve. For the past 5 years, Steve has been on the brink of earning his Master’s degree. While his course work is complete, the one thing standing in his way from getting his diploma is his thesis project. Due to an intense travel schedule, Steve’s thesis remains unfinished. His goal is to finish his thesis by October 31–making him better qualified for future promotions.

Help our changers accomplish their goals! Your comments can provide the social motivation they need to keep going.

Our research shows nine out of ten people who are skilled at holding crucial conversations enjoy their family gatherings—despite the unruly behavior of their relatives.

So to kick off the festivities, our award-winning video team presents Holiday Spice: Relatively Speaking . . .

Share with your friends:

Follow these four recommendations for talking to unruly relatives about their bad behavior so you can strengthen relationships and enjoy your family gatherings:

Work on me first. How you see your relatives determines how you treat them. To soften judgments, ask yourself, “Why would a reasonable, rational and decent person do what they’re doing?” For example, do you see your Uncle Fester with a poor driving record as criminally irresponsible or as harried and in need of help?

Make it safe. When confronting bad behavior, first help the other person know you care about his or her interests. For example, if Uncle Fester is coming down with the flu and kissing everyone he greets, begin with, “Uncle Fester, it wouldn’t be a holiday if I didn’t get a hug. I’m glad you’re so affectionate and warm to all of us, but . . . .”

Just the facts. Start with the facts and strip out accusatory, judgmental and inflammatory language. “Uncle Fester, I notice you are sick. And I noticed you’ve been double-dipping your chips in the bowl . . . .”

Tentatively share concerns. Having laid out the facts, tell the person why you’re concerned, but don’t do it as an accusation—share it as an opinion. “My concern is that with all of us in such close proximity, we’re all going to come down with the flu. I know you don’t want that either.”

Invite dialogue. After sharing your concerns, encourage the other person to share his—even if he disagrees with you. One of the best ways to persuade others is to listen to them. “So Uncle Fester, is there a way we can get your warmth and love without getting more than you mean to give? Or am I seeing this wrong?”

In this month’s Change Anything column, Patricia S. shares the specific strategies she used to save her marriage.

My husband and I have been married for nearly twenty-seven years. However, it wasn’t until five years ago that I began to understand what it meant to be completely committed to another person.

At the time, my job as a nurse educator required me to travel for eight years. My husband was upset with me for being gone so often and I was frustrated because my expectations of having a clean house, full refrigerator, and happy children were often unmet. I was the stereotypical husband and my husband was the stereotypical wife. The strange role reversal was further complicated because we were mad at each other all the time.

One night after I returned from a work trip, we hit an all-time low. After realizing my husband didn’t want to be with me for more than an hour, I asked him if he wanted to continue this relationship. I was devastated when he calmly replied, “Well, no. Not really.”

I knew we had to change because I didn’t want to lose the marriage. I knew my children would suffer and that I’d miss him if we weren’t together. And I also knew that if we were to change, I’d have to start with myself. There were obvious things he did to create problems, but sober reflection helped me see I wasn’t innocent either.

After some initial false starts, we started to rebuild our relationship. It took five years of hard work, but we improved our relationship and strengthened our marriage through the following strategies:

Source 1: Love What You Hate—I was motivated to change by two examples of difficult marriages. I watched as the father of my daughter’s best friend had an affair that devastated the family. I remember thinking, “I don’t want to go through this, and I especially don’t want my children to go through it.” This realization motivated me to work through our problems, no matter how difficult or frustrating.

I was also motivated by remembering the constant fear I felt as a child watching my parents fight. My parents won their fights by yelling the longest and loudest. In one argument, my dad shoved a piece of furniture out of place, slammed the door, and left for a few days. I remember being so scared they would divorce. I didn’t want my children to live with that same fear.

I also drew on my religious faith regarding the sanctity of marriage. One day in church, I was nearly brought to tears when I reread our marriage vows and realized I needed to start over. For better or for worse took on a whole new meaning as I recommitted to our vows and applied my stubborn tendencies to saving rather than destroying our marriage.

Source 2: Do What You Can’t—I realized I needed to hold a few crucial conversations with my husband and that I needed to learn how to hold them. I signed up for Crucial Conversations Training, read the book, and listened to the audio companion. With these new skills, I learned how to make it safe for my husband to talk to me. I started by working on me first and gradually learned how to hold a successful crucial conversation with my husband.

Sources 3 & 4: Turn Accomplices into Friends—My husband was a wonderful example of what it means to be a devoted spouse. One night when I was sick, he picked up a prescription for me at 2:00 a.m. When I apologized for the inconvenience, he simply said, “I love you. This is part of it.” This was a turning point. Those words made me understand what it truly means to be committed to somebody and to be their friend instead of working against them. I began to see him more as an ally and coach. We also had other “friends” in the form of a marriage counselor who gave us advice and encouragement.

Source 5: Invert the Economy—Some of our marital stress was a function of our lifestyle. We simplified our lives so I didn’t have to work two jobs which reduced my anxiety and gave us more time together. Removing the financial incentive to be apart was crucial to our making things work.

Source 6: Control Your Space—We also made a decision to move from Minnesota to California in hopes that it would improve our health problems. I have a chronic illness that was exacerbated by the cold climate of Minnesota, and my husband suffers from depression. Sunny California has made all the difference. We spend more time outside doing things we both love and have reexamined our lives and values.

I can honestly say the longer we are together, the less attached I feel to my old self. We have stopped pulling our separate ways and now allow the full expression of each other’s personalities to show without fear of reprisal. The time we spend together is so enjoyable. It has taken a lot of work but it has been worth it. We’re holding hands again and heading off in the same direction.

Editor’s Note: Similar stories of inspiring change will be featured in our upcoming book about personal change due to be released Spring 2011. If you have an inspiring story of personal change, please send it to editor@vitalsmarts.com and include “Change Anything Story” in the subject line of your e-mail.

In this month’s Change Anything column, Michael Emehiser shares the specific strategies he used to motivate weight loss.

I knew something was wrong when I woke up in the middle of the night and felt a crushing pressure in my chest. I soon found myself in an ambulance on my way to the hospital where I had a cardiogram and learned I had a mild blockage and other indicators of future heart problems.

After that rude wakeup call to get healthy, I began walking with my wife. While the time spent together was special, it didn’t make much difference on the scale. My enthusiasm soon faded and I found myself plopped in front of the TV again.

By 2005, I was 50 pounds overweight, got winded on short walks, and became increasingly depressed. Shedding the weight was even more difficult because my blood pressure and cholesterol skyrocketed and my thyroid all but stopped working. After a few years of yo-yo dieting, the only results I saw were fluctuating weight and disappointment.

In 2007, after my close friend died of a heart attack, I realized I had to change. My friend was only a few years older than I was and in great shape. While attending his funeral I thought, “This is not what I want for my life. This is not how I want it to end.” This realization was the motivation I needed to whip myself into shape.

I invested in a workout program and identified several vital behaviors I wanted to influence, including:

• Go to bed early so I can exercise and prepare healthy food in the morning
• Log on daily to a fitness Web site to record my progress and chat with friends
• Drink a lot of water—especially before meals—to help me feel full
• Eat six small meals a day—no snacks—to help me stay full while eating less calories overall

After I identified these vital behaviors, I created my plan and put the following strategies into action.

Source 1: Love What You Hate — One of the most difficult hurdles for me was my dislike of and lack of motivation for exercise. So, whenever I felt my motivation slipping, I reminded myself what was at stake: my time with my six grandkids, my self-respect, and most importantly, my health. I see my grandchildren every day, so they’re on the forefront of my mind. When I wake up in the morning and sit on the edge of my bed thinking about how I want to go back to sleep, I intentionally think about them and why I am doing this so I keep my motivation front and center. I don’t want to die early and leave my family behind. This regular ritual has helped me feel differently about exercising.

Source 2: Do What You Can’t — After failing at several weight loss plans, I didn’t know where to turn. My new workout program gave me the skills I needed to lose weight and be healthy, and the health-screening program at work helped me identify my weaknesses and gain the knowledge and skills I needed to meet my goals. I attended informational meetings about eating right and staying fit. They also helped me set appropriate goals. As I progressed through my plan I thought, “I can’t wait to go to my next screening and see the progress I’ve made.”

Sources 3 & 4: Turn Accomplices into Friends — I knew I needed to involve people in my weight loss efforts so they would hold me accountable. My wife especially helped me keep my commitments. For example, when I’d sit down in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn, she would ask, “Do you really need that?”

I told many people about my goal to lose weight, and it felt so good to report that I was on track. I also built relationships with others who were trying to lose weight via an online fitness Web site. We exchanged healthy recipes and encouraged each other to keep our commitments. If I didn’t log on every morning, these new friends would follow-up, give advice, or help me solve problems. This support team had a huge impact on my success.

Source 5: Invert the Economy — I motivated myself to stay on track by remembering the investment I had made in my expensive workout program. While I didn’t want to spend that much money, I knew if I sacrificed financially, I would be more likely to follow through. When it was difficult to wake up in the morning, I reversed my thinking by focusing on the long-term investment and the satisfaction of completing the program instead of my current lack of energy and motivation.

Source 6: Control Your Space — I also knew I had to make changes at home, so I quit buying junk food and started eating fresh fruit and vegetables. I also put a chin-up bar in the kitchen doorway and posted before and after pictures on the fitness Web site. Every time I saw these reminders, I was motivated to exercise or eat right.

When I put all of these strategies into play, my life changed. In the next year, my body fat content went from 25 percent to 12 percent, I lost 57 pounds, and have since maintained that weight. I lowered my cholesterol and blood pressure, cut my thyroid medication back, and feel healthier than ever. I now know that while change is never easy, it is possible.

Editor’s Note: Similar stories of inspiring change will be featured in our upcoming book about personal change due to be released Spring 2011. If you have an inspiring story of personal change, please send it to editor@vitalsmarts.com and include “Change Anything Story” in the subject line of your e-mail.

In this month’s Change Anything column, Craig V. shares the specific strategies he used to change spending habits.

My wife and I were in financial distress. We had $10,000 in credit card debt, lived month-to-month, and didn’t have any savings because every penny we earned went toward our large mortgage or to pay child support from my previous marriage. We were frustrated, out of control, and just plain stuck.

We had a budget, but we constantly adjusted it to meet our wants and rationalized purchases we couldn’t afford. For example, we bought a new car without considering whether or not we could afford it. After a few months we realized our “fun car” was a burden—the payments were too high and we rarely drove it.

That was our turning point. We realized our seemingly small purchases added up. We committed to make the changes necessary to get our lives under control. Within a few months, we saved thousands of dollars by making the following changes.

Source 1: Love What You Hate—One of our greatest challenges was changing the way we thought about money. We realized spending money crowded our life rather than enhancing it. My wife went on a no shopping spree and realized not spending money was actually rewarding. She learned to love what she hated. I now repeat inspirational phrases such as “a penny saved is a penny earned” to remind myself that I am much happier when I save. When we eliminate expenses, I think of it as getting a raise because it means we have more money in the bank. Changing the way we think made all the difference.

Source 2: Do What You Can’t—We wanted to change our habits, but we honestly didn’t know how. Luckily, my coworker shared Total Money Makeover with us and we found a place to start. We built on this knowledge by visiting the public library and checking out books and movies (for free) that helped us learn how to save. This gave us an opportunity to spend quality time together. In fact, we enjoyed the library so much that we canceled our cable subscription and rented movies from the library.

With our new knowledge, we created a new budget and identified expenses we could eliminate. One of our most liberating changes was selling the “fun car” and riding the bus to work. Because my company pays for public transportation, we saved thousands of dollars by making this one change.

I also went through Crucial Conversations Training and learned how to effectively talk to my wife about finances. We are now comfortable holding each other accountable and talking about our finances honestly and respectfully.

Sources 3 & 4: Turn Accomplices into Friends—We realized that we enabled each other’s bad habits by allowing the other person to alter the budget. We learned to hold each other accountable for spending money and now talk before spending $50 or more.

We also meet regularly with coworkers and friends who are interested in financial fitness. We encourage each other, follow up on commitments, and share ideas for saving money. This support has helped us change our behavior and stick to our financial plans.

Source 5: Invert the Economy—To change our behavior, we reversed our thinking by focusing on the long-term rewards instead of short-term gratification. We are motivated to stick to our budget and say “no” to spending because we now understand the importance of retirement. In addition to maxing out Roth IRA accounts for retirement, we established escrow accounts for new cars, vacations, and other large purchases. We also established an emergency fund and saved six months of salary in case we lose our jobs.

We also reward ourselves by going on a weekly date. This rewards us in the short term for things that often don’t pay off for months or years.

Source 6: Control Your Space—In order to take control of our spending, we had to control our environment. We realized that in addition to our mortgage payment, we spent a lot of money on home improvement projects. We also realized these expenses were often unnecessary so we sold our house and bought a town home. We removed the temptation for home improvement and reduced our mortgage payments.

We realized we would need additional income to pay our current bills so I took another job umpiring baseball games. Not only is this something I love, but it also helps me avoid spending because I have less free time and therefore opportunity to spend impulsively.

We also maintain control by tracking our purchases in a spreadsheet that we review regularly. It helps us identify exactly where our money is going and where we can cut back.

We are now debt free, save 15 percent of our earnings for retirement, and make extra payments on our mortgage. I pay all of my child support bills as well as save for vacations, cars, and other large purchases. This life-altering change has improved our relationship and given us freedom and hope.

Editor’s Note: Similar stories of inspiring change will be featured in our upcoming book about personal change due to be released Spring 2011. If you have an inspiring story of personal change, please send it to editor@vitalsmarts.com and include “Change Anything Story” in the subject line of your e-mail.

In last month’s Change Anything column, we published an inspiring story from Michael Vitali. This month, Michael shares the specific strategies he used to overcome his addictions.

I started smoking cigarettes when I was eleven years old. Since then, I’ve abused every drug on the market: speed, heroine, meth, LSD, prescription drugs. You name it—I’ve been addicted to it. My pursuit of temporary freedom started me on a twenty-year downward spiral in which I alienated my family, lost friends, sabotaged my career, experienced homelessness, and served multiple jail sentences.

After years of denial, I finally admitted that I was an alcoholic and drug addict, and realized I could not continue my current lifestyle without suffering the consequences. When I was released from prison, I started making changes I knew would be necessary to get my life back on track. To change my life I knew I had to make changes in every area of my life. Here’s how I succeeded.

Personal Motivation: Love What You Hate—In prison, I found myself saying, “This is not your life!” I cried to God for help and made a commitment to never lose control of my addictive personality again. After my release, my sponsor gave me advice I’ll never forget: “Anything you put before your sobriety—whether it’s your family, friends, or job—you will lose.”

I remind myself of these experiences often and make my sobriety my number one priority and focus. Whenever I see people drinking, I say to myself, “Drinking is not for you. You can’t handle it. It’s not an option.” I try to focus on what I really want out of life, and that picture doesn’t include drugs or alcohol.

Personal Ability: Do What You Can’t—I began attending AA meetings three times a day. I also engaged in group therapy and counseling. In these sessions, I learned about chemical dependency and the techniques needed to live a joyous and substance-free life. Specifically, I learned how to relate to other human beings, basic life skills such as making coffee and cleaning, and most importantly, how to control my anger and emotions through talking through my problems rather than taking drugs and alcohol.

I also went back to school and earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I started a successful career doing leadership development for an organization that provides housing and treatment for youth with behavioral and emotional problems.

Social Motivation and Ability: Turn Accomplices into Friends—I stopped hanging out with my partying friends—or rather, they stopped hanging out with me because I only wanted to go to AA meetings or out for coffee. My friends from AA became my support network. I learned from them how to behave and interact with people again. In fact, one of my AA friends offered me my first post-prison job.

I also called my sponsor daily to report on my progress and receive encouragement. My mother sent “I Believe in You” cards to me. They simply said, “Dear Michael, I.B.I.Y. Love, Mom.” Among other things, support from friends and family motivated me to stay straight.

Structural Motivation: Invert the Economy—I recognized the physical and psychological costs of my bad behavior and decided I did not want to lose control again. The fear of returning to prison constantly motivated me to stay sober.

Structural Ability: Control Your Space—After prison, I moved in with my mom. I knew she was the only one who would get all of the drugs and alcohol out of the house. In college, I lived alone so I could maintain control of my environment and be less stressed. I never went to bars or parties where alcohol was served, and I always made sure I had a car or a bike so I would be able to get to my AA meetings.

I have not had the compulsion to drink or take drugs in twenty years. I use my past experiences to constantly improve the quality of my future. The changes that have taken place in my life are difficult to put into words. When I reflect on my life over the past few years, I can honestly say I like what I see. What was once dark, foreboding, and full of despair has become a joyous and rewarding life.

Editor’s Note: Similar stories of inspiring change will be featured in our upcoming book about personal change due to be released Spring 2011. If you have an inspiring story of personal change, please send it to editor@vitalsmarts.com and include “Change Anything Story” in the subject line of your e-mail.

By Michael Vitali

Editor’s Note: We are pleased to announce a new monthly column featuring inspiring stories of personal change. These stories will be featured in our upcoming book about personal change due to be released Spring 2011.

I started smoking cigarettes when I was eleven years old. Since then, I’ve abused every drug on the market: speed, heroine, meth, LSD, prescription drugs. You name it—I’ve been addicted to it.

My pursuit of temporary freedom started me on a twenty-year downward spiral in which I alienated my family, lost friends, sabotaged my career, experienced homelessness, and served multiple jail sentences. I tried various methods to quit: drug rehab, AA meetings, and substituting hobbies and relationships for drugs.

Shortly after an early rehab session, I was hired by a well-respected, family-owned resort. The next eight months were evidence that sober living was full and rewarding. My career moved forward, my spirits soared, and it looked as though my treatment in rehab was a complete success.

However, chemical dependency is a subtle foe. After work, I began to “wind down” with a couple of drinks. What innocently began as social drinking quickly snowballed into full-blown alcoholism. Unable to control the addiction, my job performance suffered and I lost interest in anything beyond alcohol.

The promise of a rewarding career, a fulfilling life, and a sober existence disappeared with the job I had worked so hard to attain. Having abused every hand of friendship and alienated my family, I had nowhere to turn.

I started a new life in Arizona. But away from the scrutiny of family and friends, I quickly spiraled into the depths of chemical dependency. My life got progressively worse as my tolerance for alcohol and drugs increased. Loneliness, fear, despair, and frustration became my constant companions. I lost every material possession, I could not hold a steady job, and my friends were tired of supporting me and my habit. I then turned to theft and was soon arrested for shoplifting and spent three months in jail. Upon my release, I was homeless, destitute, and hopelessly addicted.

It was not long before I was in trouble with the law again and was sentenced to prison on the charges of theft, possession and manufacture of drug paraphernalia.

My imprisonment was a pivotal experience. After years of denial, I finally admitted that I was an alcoholic and drug addict. I began recalling my drug abuse, crimes, homelessness, and current state in prison. I found myself saying, “This is not your life!” I cried to God for help and made a commitment to never lose control of my addictive personality again.

After my release from prison, I began attending AA meetings three times a day. I engaged in group therapy and counseling to learn how to control my anger and emotions. Each day, I learned more and more about chemical dependency and the techniques needed to live a joyous and substance-free life.

Author Joseph Grenny shares crucial conversations tips to ask for vacation time from work. Watch and hear his tips for succeeding in this hard-to-hold discussion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Maxfield is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller, Influencer.

READ MORE

Dear Crucial Skills,

Do you have any resources related to the Influencer model for dealing with racism in the workplace?

Dealing with Racism

Dear Dealing,

This year alone, employees from four organizations approached me about handling racist incidents including nooses hanging over lockers, swastikas painted on doors, hate language written on bathroom mirrors, and racist epithets used during large meetings.

I’ll use our Influencer model to show how an organization can set and enforce a “zero tolerance” standard around racism.

Determine the results you want. In dealing with such a nebulous problem like racism, it’s important to focus on one result. I recommend your result be to create and maintain a safe and productive work environment that is free of intimidation, threats, or harassment.

Identify vital behaviors. Focus on the behaviors that drive your desired result. I recommend two vital behaviors:
1. Eliminate racist actions, including behaviors that any member of the organization finds intimidating, threatening, or harassing.
2. Promote inclusive actions, including behaviors that support diversity in the workforce.

Build a six-source influence model. Racism is supported by a set of beliefs, behaviors, norms, and structures. The solution must be similarly comprehensive. Our research shows combining at least four, and preferably all, of the six sources of influence creates a solution that is ten times more likely to lead to success. Below are four sources of influence organizations combating racism might choose to target.

Structural Motivation: Reward respectful behaviors and punish racism. For example:

• Establish a zero-tolerance policy for racist talk, writing, and symbols. Make it clear that violators will be terminated as well as prosecuted.
• Use performance reviews and promotion systems to track and reward people for eliminating racist actions and for promoting an inclusive workplace.

Social Motivation and Social Ability: Use formal and informal leaders to enforce social norms of zero tolerance. For example:

• Have senior leaders take strong actions that show their commitment to eradicating racism. One of our clients found slurs written in a men’s bathroom. Senior leaders brought in private investigators who swept for fingerprints and interviewed employees. The investigation convinced everyone that leadership was serious about eliminating racism.
• Identify opinion leaders from diverse job titles, departments, seniority levels, and racial groups and have
  them evaluate, endorse, and partner with managers to lead the initiative.

Personal Ability: Build awareness, share experiences, and teach skills related to eliminating racism and furthering inclusiveness. For example:

• Expose subtle forms of racism—actions that may be unintentional and yet hurtful.
• Train people in how to confront and report racist incidents, and make sure they understand their responsibility to report these incidents.

Personal Motivation: To change behavior, make racism a moral issue. People must cringe when they witness or learn of situations involving intimidation, threats, and harassment. Here, the most powerful strategies are those that demonstrate the personal toll of racism. For example:

• Make the connection between racist actions and violence. Frame the issue in terms of morals and safety.
• Find formal and informal leaders who can tell stories about how racism has impacted their lives.
• When staffing facilities, departments, and projects, have people from diverse backgrounds work together to build understanding and empathy.

I’ve used the six sources of influence to brainstorm a wide variety of strategies. Now I call on you to build on the ideas I have here. What have you seen that worked in combating racism? I look forward to learning from you all.

David