21/11/2025
I've been re-reading "The Catalyst" by Jonah Berger, and it's practical one, no BS book, explaining why so many improvement projects are stuck in the approval stage.
We think leadership resistance means we need better data. A tighter business case. More compelling ROI calculations. So we go back and add another slide to the deck.
But Berger's research shows something different. People don't change because you push harder. They change when you remove the barriers stopping them.
He breaks down five barriers that block change:
1) Reactance happens when people feel pressured. Your sponsor hears your pitch as "you're not doing your job well enough." They dig in.
2) Endowment means they're attached to the current state. They already funded two other improvement initiatives this quarter. Saying yes to you means admitting those might not work.
3) Distance is the gap between where they are and where you want them to go. A six-month DMAIC project feels massive when they're thinking about next week's production numbers.
4) Uncertainty is the risk of being wrong. Your data might be solid, but your sponsor is thinking "what if this fails and I backed it?"
5) Corroborating Evidence means they need proof from people they trust, not just from you. One comment from their peer carries more weight than your entire analysis.
So instead of pushing harder, remove the barriers:
- Don't ask for the full project. Ask for a two-week pilot that tests one assumption. Make the distance smaller.
- Don't lead with what's broken. Lead with what becomes possible once you fix it. Lower their defensiveness.
- Brief someone in their inner circle before you brief them. Let the evidence come from a voice they already trust.
Your Lean Six Sigma certification taught you the tools. But getting projects approved? That's about understanding what stops people from saying yes.
What's the biggest barrier you face when trying to get project approval?
