Build a Better Workplace

By Tom Terez

Want to take a crash course on effecting big change in a group setting?

Then try starting a human wave in a crowded stadium.

I endeavored to do just that at a jam-packed football game last fall. Wisconsin was playing Michigan at home, and I thought the crowd needed a little pick-me-up.

As a newbie wave-maker, I had no clue what to do. I simply stood, flailed my arms upward one after the other, and sat down. Several people looked at me with concern, as if they thought I might be having a mild seizure.

I nudged my sister, who was sitting next to me. “C’mon,” I said. “Let’s get this crowd on its feet.” She kindly joined me in my second stand-flail-sit maneuver.

With my pride on the line, I turned to the folks behind me. “Let’s start a wave!” I said, trying to sound like an enthusiastic aerobics instructor. I stood up again, my sister did too, and a few kind souls joined in.

Then I turned up my volume. “Okay, everyone — again!” As I stood up a fourth time, more nearby fans got in on the act.

I did the drill several more times, until we had about 100 people doing the wave. It didn’t catch on and ripple through the whole stadium, but I was sufficiently satisfied to turn my attention back to the game and my box of caramel corn.

Since then, I’ve come back to this little experience in my work with groups. There are some lessons here that all change agents can put to work:

• Sell people on your idea. That’s how I involved my sister and those fans sitting directly behind us. They became early adopters who showed their commitment through action — and in the process, they turned some of the fence sitters into adopters. You need to do the same in your work world whenever you come up with an idea for change.

• Know that you won’t convince everybody. Did it bother me that my oldest brother, sitting on my other side, kept his seat firmly planted while I worked on the wave? Not at all. As a rabid Wisconsin fan, he was absorbed in the game and worried sick over Michigan’s early show of strength. In your own situations, don’t get rattled when some of your peers appear underwhelmed. Some people bring different styles to the table or simply take more time to try on new ways of doing things.

• Communicate loudly and clearly. To reach some of the faraway rows, I had to shout out my call for a wave. I felt stupid the first few times — actually, I felt stupid every time — but it expanded the number of wavers in a big way. For just about every type of change, you need to do the same, conveying your message in a clear and compelling way. If this is beyond your comfort zone or skill set, tough — you’ll need to stretch in order to bring in additional people.

• Don’t quit too early. That’s what I did, frankly. I’ll blame it on the captivating game and the tasty caramel corn, but the fact is, the wave wasn’t cresting like I had hoped, and I gave up after eight ego-straining attempts. If you want to build a serious wave — whether it’s a literal human wave in a stadium or a figurative wave of change in the workplace — you need to persist. This isn’t a game for quitters.

• Learn along the way, and adjust your approach the next time around. I’m heading back to Wisconsin this fall for another game, and I promise to try the wave thing again, putting my extensive wave-making experience to work. I hope you’ll do the same in your workplace, learning from your past and present efforts to initiate change, and using the insights to get better and better.

• Get yourself some caramel corn. Okay, it’s not required to bring about change, but it sure adds enjoyment to the experience!

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