Twitter's new CEO has her work cut out for her.
In a matter of weeks, Linda Yaccarino will be taking over as Twitter's chief executive. She'll be tasked with keeping multiple stakeholders happy, despite those people often holding opposing views.
People like:
- Elon Musk (her new boss)
- Advertisers
- Everyday users
So, why was Musk convinced that Yaccarino was the right person for the job? And how will Yaccarino get Musk, advertisers, and users on board for the new, reinvented Twitter?
Yaccarino hinted at the answer in a recent series of tweets (which she repeated the next day on LinkedIn):
I've long been inspired by [Elon Musk's] vision to create a brighter future. I'm excited to help bring this vision to Twitter and transform this business together!
Your feedback is VITAL to that future. I'm here for all of it. Let's keep the conversation going and build Twitter 2.0 together!
In this series of messages, one word sticks out. Yaccarino repeated it four times (including the second, LinkedIn post):
Together.
On the surface, you may not consider this word special. But when it comes to change management, the word "together" sends a powerful message. It also teaches a lesson in emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage emotions.
As a business owner, what you can learn from this message? And how you can apply it to your own workplace? Let's find out.
Change management, emotional intelligence, and the Ikea effect
People hate change.
That's one reason why Musk has encountered so much resistance since taking over Twitter. It's also what makes Yaccarino's work cut out for her, as she will likely attempt to change the way Musk prefers to handle some things at Twitter, too.
But there's a method for helping people overcome that natural resistance:
You have to empower them to help create the solution.
This is where the Ikea effect comes into play.
The Ikea effect was popularized by a Harvard Business School research paper. In one study, two sets of subjects were asked to price a set of Ikea storage boxes. The first group had built the boxes themselves; the second group simply took a look at the furniture before coming up with a price.
The result? The persons who built the boxes placed much higher value on the product, leading to an insightful conclusion:
When you participate in the building process, you value the result more.
This is what makes Yaccarino's message so powerful. By confirming that she is willing to work together with Elon to create Twitter 2.0, Yaccarino assures Musk that she's committed to including him in the building process.
Yaccarino then repeats that message to Twitter advertisers and users. By inviting them to contribute their feedback on how to improve, she again creates buy-in, which increases their emotional attachment to Twitter.
So, how can you apply this lesson to your workplace?
If you're trying to create change, don't start by proposing solutions. Instead, present your people with clearly-defined problems--and ask for ideas on how to solve them.
Once you've actually considered what they have to say, give them the chance to beta test your new path forward--or at least give them a preview. You can then use further feedback to help tweak your process and product. (Of course, you have to communicate that you're doing this, to make sure they feel part of the process.)
Employing the Ikea effect may seem to take longer, but it will save time in the long run--and greatly increase your chances of success. Because, as Linda Yaccarino knows, the only way to create successful change is to do so together.
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