Finishing
closing the deal and what happens afterward
The 'P' Word
- "Politics" shouldn't be a dirty word
- "We are all marching together toward a glorious future" is untrue
- "We're all duplicitous, self-serving bastards" is also untrue
- "We have the same facts, but we interpret or weigh them differently" is usually more accurate
- Politics is how we make decisions in groups in the absence of agreement on goals [Wendorff2022]
- Explaining things yet again to people who disagree with us isn't going to change their minds
- And compromise isn't always possible
- So we must find ways to form a winning coalition
Whispering in the director's ear might work in the short run, but people will resent it, and will either sabotage your implementation, be less likely to support you in future, or start using the tactic themselves. Only do it if the director is trusted by people both above and below them, and you have a good relationship with them, and the changes aren't controversial.
Making It Real
- Support other causes in exchange for support for yours
- As long as goals don't conflict and strategies don't undermine each other
- Make your idea part of something larger that has broader support
- But avoid making extra work for people during a crunch
- Bring in noteworthy outsiders who support your plan
- Even (or especially) if the official purpose of their visit is something else
- Become the person with the authority to make this decision
- Be careful not to sacrifice your own career doing service work for others
- Unless you find that more rewarding than sequencing genomes
- Accept half a victory and then build on it
- After all, two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward
- If all else fails, settle for a trial run
Any new way of working initially slows people down. Acknowledging this makes you more credible, which in turn makes people more likely to stick with you through the dip.
Exercise
- In groups, discuss a change at your institution that ran out of steam before it was implemented. What went wrong? Was it ever officially halted?
- In groups, discuss a change that was implemented successfully. What tactics did its proponents use to close the deal that aren't listed above?
Changing Minds
- Debate usually doesn't change minds [SteinLubrano2025]
- Most people choose most of their beliefs based on group identity
- Believe things or ignore contradictions to reduce cognitive dissonance
- Instead, take advantage of friendships and other trusting relationships
- Social contact theory: positive social interactions between members of different groups reduces prejudice, particularly in the presence of equal status and shared goals
- And use action to shape belief
- Situated cognition theory: people who show up for fundraisers or protests are more likely to adopt those groups' beliefs
- Don't rely on social media
- Low activation cost means low commitment [Tufekci2018]
- Creates bubbles
Exercise
- Describe an online group you have been part of that didn't accomplish its goals.
- Describe something important that you have changed your mind about in the last ten years (i.e., fill in the sentence, "I used to think… and now I think…").
Dealing with Resistance
- Formalize the role of skeptic
- Often improves your ideas
- Isolate those who are never going to agree
- Can be to their benefit as well
- Follow through
- Maintenance requires much more effort than construction
Exercise
- In groups, discuss a change that failed after it was officially adopted. What went wrong?
- Describe a case in which people continued doing things the old way after most of the organization moved to a new way. Why was this permitted? What were its benefits and drawbacks?
Sabina Wraps Up
- Hackathons are now a two-day mandatory event at the end of every quarter
- Sabina vets projects in advance of each hackathon
- All projects must be open source so that externals can take part
- All data must be open as well (same reasoning)
- Annual performance review form asks staff about their contributions
- Sabina organizes quarterly training sessions to prepare people for these hackathons
- Director of IT (or one of his staff) covers software skills
- Sabina and VP of Human Resources talk about collaboration skills (including DEI)
- Now justified as a way to collaborate with scientific researchers and find grad students the company might want to recruit