Individuals often believe that it’s impossible for one person to cause significant change at a major organization. But the story of Neil Wollman, a psychology professor at Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., argues otherwise.
Wollman played an important role in getting investment management company TIAA-CREF to launch a socially screened investment fund in 1990. TIAA-CREF’s Social Choice Fund is one of the biggest socially screened funds in the world, with $4 billion in assets.
Now, he’s in the throes of a second campaign, this one aimed at refining how Social Choice selects investments.
Regardless of whether you’re battling with your own employer to get a better pension or pressing a company in which you own stock to change its policies, Wollman’s experience can provide something of a template for how to go about inspiring change.
But realize that it won’t be easy. It requires painstaking research, tireless work–and truckloads of patience. Even then, you’re never assured of success. But if you’re fighting for something precious–whether it’s a health plan or a business strategy–it may well be worth it.
Here are a few tips on how to get started.
Do your homework. You know what you want, but is it reasonable? Let’s say you want your company to provide a “cafeteria plan” that gives employees more flexibility to choose among a variety of benefits, such as health and life insurance. Are they common in your industry, or among the leading companies in your industry? A friendly librarian can find statistics indicating just how common this type of plan is in your industry. A few calls to the benefits departments of competitors can also prove enlightening.
It’s also wise to do research on your target company and consider how adding this benefit fits into the company’s philosophy or business strategy. Corporate annual reports and news releases, easily found in public filings and on the Internet, can help.
Consider how the company will benefit. “I like to work on things where everyone gains,” Wollman says. Not only is it a nice concept, it’s crucial when dealing with public corporations that must justify costly actions to their directors and shareholders. If you’re asking your company to add an employee benefit, for example, you should know that this almost always costs money. You need to consider just what the company might get in return. Do companies with cafeteria plans have an easier time attracting and retaining skilled workers? Does that ultimately save them money in hiring and training expenses? Are their workers happier and more productive? Benefit consulting firms conduct studies on such questions. Find and read them. When appropriate, use them to help bolster your point.
Enlist support. One minion in a sea of employees doesn’t have a lot of clout. But if you can convince many employees to swim with you, your chances improve. The best way to do this is to become an expert on what you’re proposing and talk about it informally with your co-workers. Make sure you’re familiar with any negative arguments as well as the positive. At this point, you’re not circulating petitions or organizing rallies, but simply weighing popular support for your idea. Realize that if less than half the people you’re chatting with are supportive, your chances are poor. But if it appears that the vast majority like the idea, it’s time to take the next step.
Approach your target. Now that you know what you want, how common and reasonable it is, how the company could win by providing it, and how many people might support you, you’re ready to approach managers at your target company. Organize your thoughts into a brief letter that summarizes your idea. If there are costs or other negatives to accepting your plan, acknowledge them and explain how the long-term benefits outweigh the cost. If you can, connect implementation of your idea to the overall corporate strategy. If you can show that what you want is simply an extension of what the company is already doing, you have a much better chance, Wollman says.
Be polite and patient. Getting a major company to make a change can be like getting a battleship to do a 180-degree turn. It can happen, but it takes time. Don’t be offended–or offensive–if you’re initially turned down. But don’t give up, either. Wollman’s successful quest to get TIAA-CREF to start a socially screened investment option took more than five years and he heard “no” a lot before the final “yes.”
“Know that it’s going to be a long-term effort,” Wollman says. “Even in our first effort, it didn’t look good for a long time. But you just keep doing it. You get more people involved. Be persistent.”
