Tribalism reflects strong ethnic or cultural identities that separate members of one group from another, making them loyal to people like them and suspicious of outsiders, which undermines efforts to forge common cause across groups.
People often resist change for reasons that make good sense to them, even if those reasons don't correspond to organizational goals. So it is crucial to recognize, reward, and celebrate accomplishments.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People resist change due to their own beliefs and motivations, which might not align with the goals of an organization. Recognizing and celebrating achievements can help facilitate necessary changes.
This quote emphasizes the common tendency of individuals to resist change, driven by personal beliefs and justifications that may conflict with the objectives of an organization. It highlights the importance of acknowledging and celebrating individual accomplishments as a means to foster a culture that is more adaptable to change. By aligning individual motivations with organizational goals through recognition, a more cohesive and supportive environment for change can be created.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting, I shared this quote to encourage members to embrace change and recognize each other's efforts.
More from Rosabeth Moss Kanter
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The people who resist change will be confronted by the growing number of people who see that better ways are available; thanks to technology.
I realized that if what we call human nature can be changed, then absolutely anything is possible. From that moment my life changed.
The arc of history is longer than human vision. It bends. We abolished slavery, we granted universal suffrage. We have done hard things before. And every time it took a terrible fight between people who could not imagine changing the rules, and those who said, 'We already did. We have made the world new.' The hardest part will be to convince yourself of the possibilities, and hang on.
There is no such thing as a Fourth Industrial Revolution with 9 billion thriving co-citizens in the world if it is accomplished on linear economic principles. We need a transition to circular economic principles and practice.
In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.
Seek out your brothers and sisters of other cultures and join together in building alliances to put an end to all forms of racial discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice. There are people of good will of all races, religions, and nations who will join you in common quest for the betterment of society.