Municipalities

Most people assume that the best way to convince people to accept a new technology is to heighten the appeal of the product itself. We instinctively believe that if we add enough value or showcase the benefits, people will say “yes.” But this is what best-selling author and behavioural scientist Loran Nordgren calls a “fuel-based mindset.” Whether we look at government policy or car commercials, most of us focus on fuelling attraction to create acceptance of a new product or idea. Nordgren explains how innovators too often neglect the other half of the equation – identifying and reducing the psychological frictions that oppose change. Frictions create drag on innovation. And though they are rarely considered, overcoming these frictions is often the most effective way to create change. A copy of Loran’s The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas will be given away to one lucky session attendee.