Driving change without formal authority: How to get people to care

Why is it so hard to get people to adopt new tools, ways of working, or even better ideas? In this Coffee Chat, Senior Enterprise Account Executive Matt Haney tackled the behavioral barriers to change and laid out a practical playbook to overcome them.

Hosted in the Journey Management Community, this lively session was packed with insights on human psychology, storytelling, stakeholder dynamics, and what Matt calls the “I don’t care” slope. If you’ve ever launched a change initiative only to see it stall, this one’s for you.

Why change is hard (and what to do about it)

The biggest barrier to change? People just don’t care—at least not yet. Matt illustrated this challenge with a metaphor: Every change initiative is like a ball you’re trying to roll uphill. The steeper the slope (i.e., the more “I don’t care”), the harder the push.

That slope exists for predictable, psychological reasons:

• People don’t understand what’s in it for them.

• They’ve seen similar efforts fizzle before.

• They don’t believe it will actually work.

• They’re overwhelmed or too busy to engage.

According to Matt: “We are more attracted to preventing pain than to generating gain.”

How to make people care

Matt outlined six cognitive and emotional levers that reduce resistance and increase engagement:

1. Familiar – Reduce friction by making change feel recognizable.

2. Relevant – Tie it to people’s roles, goals, or pain points.

3. Easy – Don’t just simplify—communicate how easy it is.

4. Tangible – Ground ideas in specific examples and realistic applications.

5. Safe – Show people they won’t be stranded or exposed if it fails.

6. Personal – Always answer, “What’s in it for me?”

People power: Sponsors, champions, and mavens

Change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens through people. Matt introduced three must-have roles:

• Sponsors provide executive visibility and political capital.

• Champions are social connectors who spread ideas energetically.

• Mavens are domain experts whose buy-in signals credibility and safety.

Ignoring mavens means risking surprises and roadblocks later. Engage them early—even if it means more friction upfront.

Why storytelling beats strategy decks

Want people to care about your idea? Don’t just explain it. Tell a story.

Matt drew from behavioral science to show why stories matter:

• Our brains can’t process the flood of incoming data, so they filter.

• What gets remembered is what has meaning.

• Stories turn abstract info into emotionally sticky, socially shareable content.

The best presentations don’t lead with facts. They lead with emotion and back it up with logic. A great opening line can change everything. One participant shared: “I started my meeting by saying: ‘This might be the most important year for our CX strategy—let me tell you why.’ Everyone leaned in.”

Think big, start small, scale fast

Big change starts small—but it must be strategic. Matt’s tips for piloting change that builds momentum:

• Start with receptive teams who have bandwidth and enthusiasm.

• Make impact measurable from the outset.

• Involve champions and mavens so your early success stories have built-in amplification.

• Avoid kindergarten pilots—your first test must reflect some of the complexity you aim to scale.

Every new tactic you apply reduces the slope of ‘I don’t care.’ Eventually, the ball rolls on its own.

Don’t forget: Who can say no?

One of Matt’s sharpest insights? Before you launch anything, identify:

• Who has to say yes

• Who can say no

Change initiatives often get shut down months (or years) in because blockers weren’t addressed early. Invite them into the process up front—even if they’re skeptics.

Key takeaways

• Change fails when people don’t care—make it personal, safe, and relevant.

• Storytelling creates meaning and emotional engagement.

• Champions and mavens amplify your message—but only if they’re involved early.

• Start small, but smart—and make sure your pilot has enough weight to scale.

• Identify gatekeepers before they become blockers.

Timestamps

0:00 Welcome and intro

2:30 Why is change so hard?

5:42 How do we make people care?

15:38 The power of storytelling in change management

21:52 Think big, start small, scale fast

25:58 Audience discussion

41:40 Identifying who can say no (and why it matters)

50:54 Wrap-up

Want more?

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