The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas - Hardcover

by Loran Nordgren (Author), David Schonthal (Author)

Wall Street Journal bestseller

Watch your most innovative ideas take flight by overcoming the forces that resist change

The Human Element is for anyone who wants to introduce a new idea or innovation into the world. Most marketers, innovators, executives, activists, or anyone else in the business of creating change, operate on a deep assumption. It is the belief that the best (and perhaps only) way to convince people to embrace a new idea is to heighten the appeal of the idea itself. We instinctively believe that if we add enough value, people will eventually say "yes." This reflex leads us down a path of adding features and benefits to our ideas or increasing the sizzle of our messaging - all in the hope of getting others on board. We call this instinct the "Fuel-based mindset." The Fuel-based mindset explains so much of what we do, from adding countless trivial features to software, to bolting a sixth blade onto a shaving razor.

By focusing on Fuel, innovators neglect the other half of the equation - the psychological Frictions that oppose change. Frictions create drag on innovation. And though they are rarely considered, overcoming these Frictions is essential for bringing new ideas into the world. The Human Element highlights the four Frictions that operate against innovation. Readers will discover:

• Why their best ideas and initiatives often get rejected - despite their undeniable value
• How to disarm the forces of resistance that act against change
• How to transform the very Frictions that hold us back into catalysts for change

Perfect for business leaders, product managers, educators, and anyone else who seeks to bring new and exciting ideas to life, The Human Element is an indispensable resource to help people overcome the powerful forces of human nature that instinctively resist change.

Front Jacket

As businesspeople, inventors, and managers know all too well, convincing people to adopt a new idea or behavior is only partly about the innovation itself. Successful changemakers learn that they have to overcome the deeply rooted Frictions that oppose the very nature of change.

The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas is a revolutionary new take on how, exactly, you can expose and eliminate those Frictions that create such drag on innovation. You'll learn about how increasing the appeal of the idea itself is only a part of the equation that unlocks widespread adoption of your idea, and why adding more features and benefits to your product or service doesn't seem to excite others in the same way it excites you. You'll also discover the Four Frictions--inertia, effort, emotion, and reactance--that operate against every innovative new idea, product, or service, and how to overcome them.

With insightful commentary and revealing case studies, the accomplished authors draw on decades of experience in design thinking and behavioral science to deliver an insightful "how-to" guide to getting your invaluable new ideas incorporated into the lives of the people you're trying to reach.

Perfect for anyone trying to introduce a new idea or innovation into the world, The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas belongs in the libraries of marketers, innovators, executives, activists, and others who hope to change the way anyone does anything.

Back Jacket

Praise for THE HUMAN ELEMENT

"An engrossing read on what it takes to open other people's minds. A leading psychologist and a crackerjack entrepreneur team up to demystify the science and practice of convincing people to let go of the status quo. If you've ever been frustrated by people rejecting an innovative idea or refusing a constructive change, this book might just be what you need."
--Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

"There's always something standing between ourselves and innovation: an overwhelming and very human resistance to change. The insights Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal surface are important reminders of the care and attention designers need to bring a new idea to life and to build our shared future."
---Sandy Speicher, CEO of IDEO

"Why is it that customers looking at new products or services that would dramatically change their lives or business for the better find it so hard to embrace and adopt them? The Human Element cracks the code. It describes the four forces that act against innovation and provides entrepreneurs the insights and tools on how to overcome them. This book is essential reading for any entrepreneur or innovator looking to accelerate adoption of disruptive innovation."
--Steve Blank, Eight-time entrepreneur-turned-educator and originator of the Lean Startup movement

"What invisible forces slow or stall even our best innovation efforts? Schonthal and Nordgren identify four 'Frictions' that get in the way, and then tell us how to overcome them. The Human Element is full of insights for designers, innovators, and executives alike."
--Tom Kelley, Three-time bestselling author of Ten Faces of Innovation, The Art of Innovation, and Creative Confidenc

"The Human Element pulls back the curtain on the psychological forces that stop people from embracing new ideas and adopting new products. Whether you're a creator looking to execute or an executive looking to create, this book is a timely read."
--Daniel H. Pink, Author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human

Author Biography

DAVID SCHONTHAL is an award-winning Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Outside of academia, David's work in the fields of design, innovation consulting and venture capital have led to the creation and launch of over 200 new products and services around the world.

LORAN NORDGREN, PhD, is a Kellogg Professor of Management. His research and teaching explores the psychological forces that propel and prevent the adoption of new ideas. Loran has received numerous awards for research and teaching, and has worked with companies throughout the world on a wide-range of behavior change problems, a process he calls behavioral design.