(Don Draper is the Creative Director for Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce on the Emmy-winning television series Mad Men. He is a confident, stylish, hard-drinking, chain-smoking 1960s advertising executive.)
Nunez, owner of Nunez Leadership Consulting (changedoc10@yahoo.com), offered his Draper-based tips at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition held recently in Orlando.
[Go here for Draperisms 1 to 6]
7. “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”
“Everybody else’s tobacco is poisonous. Lucky Strike’s … is toasted.”—Don Draper
How to apply this lesson at work
You can’t monitor the progress of your change through technical performance metrics alone. Leaders may want to do this because they do this the best, but you’ve also got to monitor the human side of change. Keep in mind:
- A conversation is a two-way communication—start from a position of genuine curiosity and interest.
- Approach whatever is being said with a sincere sense of appreciation.
- Adaptively and creatively change the conversation to focus on the positive benefits of the change or to help employees create the higher-order mental models necessary to understand the change.
- Shift the conversation to a reciprocity conversation. “I know this change initiative isn’t exactly what you want, but I can give you some valuable resources to help you make the most of this.”
8. Selling a product means selling the feeling that goes along with it
“You are the product. You—feeling something. That’s what sells. Not them. Not sex.”—Don Draper
How to apply this lesson at work
People are threatened, they often can’t make sense of what’s happening, and you may not be selling the change very well. You don’t have to be a psychiatrist or a psychologist to help with this. All you have to do is:
- Ask good questions.
- Be a good listener.
- Use your coaching skills.
- Refer to other resources when necessary.
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9. People want to feel just a little bit better
“Something terrible has happened and the way they saw themselves is gone.”—Don Draper
How to apply this lesson at work
Find the successful people, the early adopters, the rebels, the smart people, the popular people, etc. Figure out how you can categorize the people involved in the change into groups—with honest affinities—that others will easily recognize and feel an honest affinity for.
Remember, change causes uncertainty, and uncertainty causes anxiety, and anxiety shows up as:
- Lost productivity
- Strained relationships
- A sense of disengagement
- Miscommunication
- Misunderstandings
10. ‘Advertising is about one thing—happiness.’
“And you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It’s freedom from fear. It’s a billboard on the side of the road that screams reassurance that whatever you are doing is okay. You are okay.”—Don Draper
How to apply this lesson at work
Become a “first-class noticer” of what goes on during the change. It’s about helping people make sense of the change based on their experience of it.
- Everyone has his or her own unique experience of change.
- One response will not fit all.
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About Your Speaker
David Wudyka, SPHR, MBA, BSIE, managing principal and founder of Westminster Associates, manages and oversees all company operations, including the design, development, and implementation of all client HR programs. His specialties include human resource analytics, audits of HR operations, employee retention strategies, and group incentive plans.