Animal Welfare Professionals

I do not want to start yet another small non-profit, 

#CommunityPartnerships*
#OrganizationalManagement

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Meredith 
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Hi Meredith,

Sorry that your experiences have been so difficult, i've definitely been there, done that.  Sometimes people are so resistant to change it's impossible. However, i've found that what works best (and i'm guessing you've done this) is by asking them what you can do to help. What do THEY want you to do to help the animals.  That, and/or talk about a new idea with the 'let's just pilot it for a little bit and see how difficult it is and whether it helps'...(sounds like you've tried this too!) i've found that a lot of people are willing to try for a short period of time.  But others aren't and that's why i appreciated this sentence.

"Suggesting any kind of change or updates even while offering to pay for it, do all the work, take all the Maddie's Fund courses, show them the science-based data, write the pilot program, and its grant, all while providing pizza and ice cream is still met with a shriek and possibly a well-aimed stapler to your head. "

Sheila

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Sheila Segurson, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
Director of Outreach and Research
Maddie's Fund
9258608284
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Meredith, I feel ya!

It's such a challenge when the evidence is so clear but not compelling to the folks you are talking to...

For your sake, one thing I remind myself A LOT, is that change takes time.
We can't just present the data, compel someone to take the class, make our case, and have people jump on board. There are different things that are convincing to different people (and there will always be late adopters and non-adopters, who will be more challenging).

I can't recommend more the book Switch by Chip and Dan Heath as a great guide for change management. I think the methodology is just as useful from your position outside the organizations as it is from within. They talk about three things to get in line when asking people to change their behavior: a pathway to change, the logical reason to change, the emotional reason to change. It sounds like you know what you would like to see different, and why you'd like to see it that way, but are frustrated by that emotional component. And that may be different for different organizations and different people. It might take some deep listening as to why people prefer the way they're currently working - is it easier (it's almost always easier to not change), do they deeply believe something counter-to evidence (how can you challenge those beliefs - can you show them/tell them alternate stories), is there fear (of judgement, of admitting that the past way wasn't the "best" way)?

It can be hard to find a way in, especially when you want to see something happen RIGHT NOW.

Best of luck to you!

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Emily Wood
Director
Broward County Animal Care
Fort Lauderdale FL
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