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How Leaders Can Assist Themselves And Their Employees In Changing Their Behaviors?

Robert Thurman is credited with the saying, “wisdom (enlightenment) is tolerance of cognitive dissonance” (Wisdom Publications, Inc., 2018). Cultural Intelligence for Leaders (2012) defines cognitive dissonance as discomfort felt when either a belief, value, or idea is found to be invalid or two beliefs become contradictory. While the discomfort is undesirable, the effect of the dissonance can be detrimental or beneficial, dependent on the behaviors exhibited.
Metin & Camgoz (2011) unfold that self-concept augments cognitive dissonance and people aim to alleviate the discomfort by changing behavior, cognition, or adding cognitive elements, effecting a collective change. They posit that cognitive dissonance can alert us to discard irrelevant ideas or beliefs that do not align with current situations. For example, an individual salesperson may overcharge customers to increase sales commissions, although it is against company policy.  The salesperson, changing behavior by charging customers accurate prices as a countermeasure to the cognitive dissonance unease of knowing he acted unscrupulously, is good for the individual, relieving the stress, and for the company, by protecting its reputation and treating customers fairly.
Leaders can influence cultural dissonance, according to Cultural Intelligence for Leaders (2012), by a) having the courage to consider that their ideas or the organization’s values are not consistent with their actions, b) analyze cognitive dissonance through understanding the organization’s cultural beliefs, identifying existing dissonance, examining areas that promote dissonance, and considering how dissonance prohibits cultural intelligence, and c) work with employees to discover and address blind spots, which are hidden or ignored factors.

Objective thinking through emotional distance from the situation reduces a negative impact on individuals and the organization while creating an opportunity for logical decision making, including behavior changes. Leaders can implement analytical thinking to assess the situation, evaluate options, and implement practical behavior. When cognitive dissonance occurs, Prvulovic (2015) recommends an analysis process to determine subsequent outward action or apply rational acceptance to respond to internal stress.  On an individual or organizational level, there are issues over which there is no control and rationalism to release the emotional attachment may reduce stress. He identifies the weak influence level as having no control over the issue but sharing alternatives with decision makers to offer optional strategies. Strong influence, however, reflects a situation where there is an ability to significantly influence decisions, but the issue is outside of direct control. Indirect control, he explains, requires others to resolve an issue even though it is in direct control. In this case, acting to inform decision makers reduces cognitive dissonance. Finally, direct control, Prvulovic (2015) describes, is the layer where making a decision that addresses an issue is within control and authoritative parameters.
 Figure 1 - Individual Operational Envelope and Circles of Responsibility (RiskWise Solutions, 2015, as cited in Prvulovic, 2015).

Leaders can take positive action to the extent of one’s ability, authority, and responsibility, and encourage employees to also take positive action that supports the organization’s values. When positive action taken still produces an effect causing cognitive dissonance, leaders can implement analytical thinking strategies to reinforce positive behavior.
Cultural Intelligence for Leaders (2012) posits three questions, for leaders, as part of strategic thinking methodology to positively impact employee behavior.
1)    “Where is the evidence that contributes to my thoughts”?
2)    “Are there other possibilities to this situation”?
3)    “What are the implications of my behaviors”?
The positive impact is reflected in understanding and accepting emotions, learning about control over thoughts and behavior, and the benefits of adopting. Further, changing behavior can create a better working relationship. Processing the three questions helps adjust the cognitive dissonance from an emotional state to an analytical state while leveraging the level of control the employee has in the situation. An employee that has control over cognitive functions can rationalize their beliefs and create satisfaction from positive behavior decisions (Buckley, n.d.).
Several activities can be implemented by a leader to influence changing behaviors. There are two kinds of change, according to Anderson (2012), evolutionary, which is slow and steady, and disruptive, which is fast but can be destructive because there is no adjustment or acceptance period.  Aligning an individual with the method impacts the success rate. Leaders met with the opposition can change gears, considering a new method. One option is peer support, according to Cultural Intelligence for Leaders (2012), to observe old behavioral traits and reinforce positive behavior. The textbook also recommends storytelling to involve larger groups, communicating the organization vision, and engaging active listeners.
Conclusion
The discomfort of cognitive dissonance can be emotionally detrimental to individuals and organizations, while it can prompt behavior changes that have a positive impact.  Leaders are called upon to rationalize and adjust their own cognitive dissonance as well as guide employee behavior in response to situations where employees are impacted by their cognitive dissonance. Katzenbach, Steffe, & Kronley (2012) recommend focusing on behavior changes that align with the company strategic mission and culture.
           
References
Anderson, E. (2012, August, 17). Three Things You Can Do To Change People’s Behavior. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2012/08/17/3-things-you-can-do-to-change-peoples-behavior/#374ffdf87a0a
Buckley, T. (n.d.). What Happens to the Brain During Cognitive Dissonsnce? Scientific American Mind. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-happens-to-the-brain-during-cognitive-dissonance1/
Cultural Intelligence for Leaders (2012). Saylor Academy. Creative Commons by-nc-sa 3.0.
Katzenbach, J. R., Steffen, I., & Kronley, C. (2012). Cultural Change That Sticks. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2012/07/cultural-change-that-sticks
Metin, I, & Camgoz, S. M. (2011, June). The Advances in the History of Cognitive Dissonance Theory. International Journal of Humanitites and Social Science, 1(6). Retrieved from http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol._1_No._6;_June_2011/14.pdf
Prvulovic, G. (2015, April 25). Impacts of Cognitive Dissonance in the Workplace. Safety Risk. Retrieved from https://safetyrisk.net/impacts-of-cognitive-dissonance-in-the-workplace/
[Wisdom Publications, Inc.]. (2018, March 21). Robert Thurman on Enlightenment [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaQxMU3F05s
  

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