You Can't Make Them
I’ve always said the best training I had for working with adults was Jr. High School. With every change initiative or innovation of which I have been a part I’ve learned we never really leave behind the social behaviors we adopted during our teenage years. Under pressure we revert back to our teenage years as easily as slipping on an icy road in the winter. Ironically as a change catalyst I often hear the phrase “But, we are all adults.” popping up when individuals are confronted with a challenging situation involving others. In the back of my mind I find myself saying “So- what difference does that make!” It’s as if people think because someone has reached a certain age they are now magically going to take on a whole new set of behaviors. Believe me after 40+ years of working with people in transition it doesn’t really make one lick of difference how old you are. You, and those around you will revert back to the behaviors you learned the last time you were