I am often asked how organisations can get their people to really change.  “Everybody knows what they’re expected to do; they’re just not doing it.”

Their discussions range over leadership styles, motivation techniques, the attributes of developing compelling stories and rolling out a series of senior executive roadshows so people ‘get it’. Will these actions work? Possibly. But often executives overlook one very influential, gratuitous resource. Themselves. Their actions and their behaviours. What they do and what others perceive they do.

I have lost count of the number of senior executives who nod in agreement to a change initiative then embrace the exact opposite. The person who signs off the rollout of hot desking (although of course they’ll be exempt, won’t they?) or desktop printing rationalisation (whilst proudly showing me their new, high-tech printer in the corner of their office).

Integrity. It’s a core competence that often appears on the job descriptions for change professionals, but is not as common for other business leaders.

I’m sure we would all say we have it and would be able to quote numerous examples of when we’ve practised it. Similarly, we would all agree that demonstrating the competences we expect from others is a good thing, unless of course it’s not relevant to us, in which case we’ll agree it’s a good idea then move on to more important things!

But do we really understand the importance of integrity when trying to make change happen?  From the view of a six-year old, it’s easy to comprehend:

I was cycling home yesterday, with my daughter, who was following on her new bike. Despite all our conversations about road safety she crossed to the wrong side on a blind corner. Why had she not crossed safely? She knew the rules, she understood the rules, yet she still chose to ignore them; a bit like my executives above. When challenged, she said, confused, “But I was just following what you did!”

We can all make excuses why we don’t exhibit the behaviours we ask of others – but should we really be surprised when they follow what we do, rather than what we say?