AI vs HI aka agent, Agent, AGENT!!

Skip the Theater: Involve People Closest to the Work and Change Sticks

“People resist change” is the wrong diagnosis. People resist bad change. In this episode of The Elephant in the Boardroom, Terri Long and Jeremy Eden explain how to design changes people want to adopt—by engaging those closest to the work, demanding facts over opinions, and deciding in forums where the right people are in the room together.

Key Takeaways

• Buy‑in is built in when people closest to the work help design the change.

• Replace opinions with facts. Ask “How do we know that’s true?” and gather the least facts needed to decide.

• Include downstream and upstream functions early. Cross‑functional design prevents surprises and rework.

• Stop treating change like a persuasion problem. Treat it like an engineering problem with clear criteria, trade‑offs, and owners.

• Track decisions and outcomes. Use simple, visible tracking so wins land and misses get replaced fast.

Why “Change Management” Falls Flat

Slides, rallies, and slogans try to earn buy‑in after decisions are made. That’s backwards. When the people who run the process co‑design the fix, adoption follows naturally—and faster.

Design Change With the Right People in the Room

• Identify who actually does the work, who receives the output, and who bears the risk.

• Put them together to map the current pain, test options, and choose a practical fix.

• Capture decisions, owners, and dates on one page.

Facts Over Opinions: Decide With Evidence

• Ask “How do we know that’s true?” to separate anecdotes from reality.

• Use Five‑Whys to uncover root causes.

• Aim for the least facts needed to make a confident decision. Don’t stall for perfect data.

Real‑World Signals From the Episode

• Frontline Glassdoor rants often flag missing users in design. If support must click three screens instead of one, you didn’t involve them.

• “Burger boards” on Goldman’s trading floor worked because skeptics co‑designed the tool—then became champions.

• Cross‑functional solutions beat silos. When upstream and downstream sit together, the right fix shows up faster.

Practical Steps You Can Implement This Month

• Run a 90‑minute change lab: map one problem with the people who do it and the people who receive it. Pick a fix and owner.

• Add a facts check to every proposal: 3 bullet proofs, 1 open risk, and the least data needed to move.

• Start a monthly steering forum that hears ideas together and decides in the room.

• Track actions on a simple RAG board. Replace reds quickly so momentum stays high.

FAQs

• Won’t co‑design slow us down?

It speeds you up by preventing rework and confusion. Decisions stick the first time.

• How many people should be in the room?

The smallest cross‑functional group that does the work, receives the work, or bears the risk—usually 5–8 people.

• What if executives already picked a solution?

Pilot it with the users, collect facts, and adapt. If it’s right, the pilot proves it. If not, you’ll find the better path quickly.