Resistance to Change in Behavior

Why do people often resist efforts to change their behavior?


Change often comes at the expense of losing something or someone that you have become accustomed to. When it comes to behavior change comes at the loss of part of ourselves that we have gotten used to. Change in behavior also requires that you have to admit the behavior is in need of change. If a behavior is negative then the change may be necessary but not always easy. Even a negative behavior can be hard to change because you have to realize that you should have changed it before now and try to understand and rationalize why you didn't. Change is like growth in an organization. Not always pleasant but many times necessary.

I have been a part of several church plants over the years and one of the things that has been proven is that the team you start with is not the same team that will be there after 3 years. It is necessary for the team to get along and work together to get the church planted and help it to grow but more often than not the team grows apart as the church grows because they come to decisions where they have differences and are not prepared to work through it. When it comes to the issue of changing behaviors everyone is somewhat resistant to change because they all feel they are right in their understandings of what needs done. This resistance often comes at the expense of friendships that have been for many years.

I have also had to deal with the resistance to behavioral change with my current employer. Through my employer we did personality profiles trying to understand the various styles in our organization to help us work better together. Through this process it was revealed that my supervisor and I have the same personality type. For my supervisor this was their first time understanding their own personality and the traits of it but I had done this test several times. Due to my history with these profiles I have learned how my behaviors affect my work attitude and have taken lengths to work with it and change the behaviors. My supervisor has not learned how to change their behaviors and as such it has been very difficult to work with them because they do not understand the negative impacts of their behaviors on those they supervise.

Human Motivation - Internal or External

Can human beings be motivated? Does motivation come only from within?


I believe that human beings have the potential to be motivated to accomplish great things. Motivation can cause an individual to excel at sports, start a business, or go to school. The ability for an individual or group of individuals to strive for achievements that are not easily achieved is essential to the long-term success and growth of personal and business attributes.

My journey through classes at UofP is a direct example of human motivation. In May of 2008 due to poor economic factors in my industry I was released from a position I had held for 9 years. I had opportunity to go directly into other industries or look for potential opportunities to develop a business of my own. Having seen the changes in economy and how that could and was affecting the workplace I decided to pursue work in a different field as I started developing my own business. The one thing I was not prepared for was how much my lack of a degree would affect not only getting a job but the willingness of others to support me in my individual business pursuits. After several months of trying to work around this issue it became clear that the necessary course of action was for me to go back to school and finish a degree I started 19 years ago. I was able to transfer many of my previous credits and also get credit for much of my work experience to the affect that I will finish my degree in July of 2010.

The factors of my motivation came from both internal and external origins. My internal motivation was my desire to finish something that I had started so many years ago and also putting myself in a position to effectively provide for my family in a way that was sufficient for our needs. I had actually had motivation to not get my degree as I felt a frustration that the only thing keeping me from getting a job was a piece of paper that says I know what I need to know. I had been working in these positions for the past 15 years and that experience now counted for nothing because I didn't have a degree to back it up. The frustration caused me to delay going back to school for longer than I should have.

This is where the external factors came into play. I wanted to set a good example for my family on finishing what you start and the value of always striving to learn no matter how much you think you know. I also felt a sense of something to prove to all those who would not hire me because of the lack of degree.

What Ya Thinkin?

The question that haunts me everyday. Not because I don't have an answer but because what I am thinking is not always appropriate or relevant to share. I wonder, when this question is asked, do the people asking really care what I think or is this a polite gesture like asking "How are you doing?" when you see someone on the street. We, as a culture, have got to a point where we are cynical of anyone really caring about us. When we are asked certain questions we give a patent, polite response that ends the conversation but doesn't answer the question.

So here is my question for the day...What are you thinking?

Technologies Available to E-Merchants

Through the application of texting capabilities and social networking sites e-merchants have the ability to reach customers in ways not heard of before. Texting services allows e-merchants to reach customers in a more direct and immediate fashion than ever before. Text messages can notify customers of shipping stages, transactions delays, and notification of sales/specials.

Through social networking sites e-merchants can build a fan / customer base that is made up of loyal customers who are interested in company information such as new products, coupons, and special sales. E-merchants can deliver these items directly to the customer base which they already know is interested in their products.

The challenge of new technologies is in finding ways to make them work for the benefit of e-merchants. Not all technologies are easily applied to an organizations customer service programs depending on the type of service or product being sold.

Communication Techniques Used By E-Merchants

E-merchants must keep their customers aware of the steps through the whole process of an online purchase. Through clearly stated policies e-merchants can communicate a lot of information and cut off lots of potential issues before they even begin. Stating the expectations for communications and shipping times that are realistic and do not promise what cannot be delivered will keep expectations of the customer at attainable levels.

Confirmation e-mails of purchases, shipments being sent, and tracking information will allow customers to feel like they are appreciated and respected. E-merchants who don't make it a priority to convey this information to their customers may have excessive questions from customers trying to confirm information that was not delivered to them. Many online merchants will also follow up with phone calls to discuss satisfaction with the process and evaluate the overall shopping experience so as to make it better in the future.

Customer Expectations of E-Commerce Customers

For shoppers who make their purchases online they have certain expectations of what they want in the terms of prices and shipping speed. Due to the reduced overhead of organizations who do business online customers have an expectation of that reduction being past on in savings to them. Many times it can be found that an organization which does business in both brick and mortar locations as well as online will have lower prices through the online purchase. This is an incentive for the online purchaser and also contributes to the convenience of not having to leave home to shop.

In regards to shipping online customers expect to receive their purchases in a timely and efficient manner. Many office supply stores ship next day because they have stores around the country and can easily deliver anywhere at a moments notice. This convenience for businesses makes it worthwhile for them to do business online.

Communication Techniques Unique To E-Commerce

The e-commerce world has many communications techniques that use digital media resources to promote products and services to customers. With the utilization of banner ads and pop-up ads everything from an organizations website to an individuals blog can be turned into an e-commerce resource. Electronic resources can also be used to create marketing newsletters in which advertisements can link to another website with more extensive and targeted information about the product/service. These interactive ads also create a marketing platform that can be used to put other products in front of the customer that are complimentary to the original product being shopped.

Another form of communication that has potential for great marketing usefulness is that of text messages. Through social networking sites and cell phones it is possible to reach a large number of people in a short amount of time with targeted marketing information in a relatively immediate fashion.

Traditional Communications In E-Commerce

With all the advances in technology they have yet to develop a way for e-commerce customers to experience the senses of taste and touch. The ability to taste a wine or sample birthday cake are essential pieces of the procedure for purchasing these items. The same can be said about being able to feel the warmth of a winter coat or the texture of fabrics. Until technology advances to these levels some real world communications will continue to be a factor.

There are, however, some communications that can be used in e-commerce that were developed in real world environments. Many traditional print media communications have been successfully converted to digital media so they can be used for e-commerce. Everything from postcards, newsletters and posters have been converted to e-mail blasts, digital newsletters and banner ads for the purpose of communicating in the e-commerce environment.

E-Commerce Marketing & Publicity

This is an interesting question in that e-commerce is more and more a part of the real world. The object of e-commerce and real world marketing and publicity is to draw people to a product or service with the intent of increased organizational success.

In e-commerce marketing & publicity the customer can be more targeted or it may be more widespread. Mailing lists and purchase history can be used to direct e-mail marketing information to customers with the highest chance of a positive response. This marketing can be done through digital advertising tools that can be created and delivered with greater speed and more affordably than real world media.


Real world media does hold advantages in marketing and publicity communications through the ability to utilize the senses of smell, touch & taste above and beyond the use of sight. These other senses add to the flexibility and response to communications from the consumer.

Delivery of Information to Virtual Workers

Delivering information to the people who need it will depend on what type of information is being delivered. If the information is specific to the receiver then the information should be delivered directly to them in some form. At the same time if the information being delivered is the same for multiple recipients there may be more efficient means for delivery.

For a sales team that needs to be updated on the status of a new product release a conference call or web meeting may be the most effective delivery method. In an organization, such as the one I work in, we have information that everyone needs to be aware of but there is rarely a time when all the staff is at one location at the same time. Due to this situation we have a log book in which information is shared and everyone is to read it for updates, at their convenience. The information is not directly delivered but it is effectively delivered.

Information for Virtual Workers

Virtual workers at times must function in multiple roles because they do not have the support of other staff like a traditional worker. A virtual worker may be functioning as sales, customer service, operations, etc. Having to function in these additional roles will require more information be given to the virtual worker than the traditional worker.

In the same vein it is possible the scenario could be the other way around. The virtual worker could need less information because they do not have the need to be part of decisions or customer service issues which occur in the traditional workplace setting. With a former employer of mine we have field and phone reps on our sales team. We worked with record labels and some of our field reps would ask questions about issues that had nothing to do with their role in the organization. The constant reminder from our sales managers was to worry about what was our job and not about everyone else's.