Dr Atul Gawande and a team of researchers studied what happened when surgeons involved in the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist research project were asked if they would continue to use the checklist after the research project was complete. Eighty percent (80%) said it was so beneficial that they would continue to use it in their practice.

Twenty percent said “No” - they didn’t need it.

The follow up question asked, “If you were the patient, would you want your surgeon to use the WHO Safety Checklist?” This time, a lot of the surgeon’s resistance melted away. Ninety-four percent (94%) said in effect, “Yes, my surgeon should use the checklist if operating on me.”

I wonder what their patients would say if they knew their surgeon was one of the ones who didn’t want to use the checklist personally, but wanted their own physician to use it when operating on them. I think the question might go something like this, “If using the checklist is good for you when you are a patient, why isn’t it good for me when I am your patient?”

Data like this demonstrates a truism that I have stumbled onto in my work helping hospitals implement effective checklists…

Human beings, even physicians, make their decisions to do something on an emotional basis and then seek data to support the decision they have made.

The survey results from the surgeons’ involved in the WHO study show all of us that logic and data don’t always carry the day in convincing others to support our change initiative. Think about it, these are surgeons involved in a hugely successful world-wide study producing peer-reviewed data showing a 35% decline in complications and deaths. The data is near conclusive. (As Al Gore would say, “The science is settled.”) Yet, 20% of the physicians involved said they wouldn’t continue to use the checklist.

These results reveal that we should never forget the power of the personal and emotional factors needed to motivate others to change.

When recruiting support for your change initiative - whatever the project may be - never forget to answer the age old question for your colleague, “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) Make sure that answer is something that affects them personally and on an emotional level.

This concept is one we devote quite a bit of time to in our Leadership Development training when implementing LifeWings in a hospital. The ability to communicate your project goals in a meaningful, and ultimately successful way by simultaneously combining data, logic, and emotions in your appeal is a critical leadership skill.

If you don’t have that level of communications skill, or ignore the power of the emotions in your project communications, you cripple the chances of success for your initiative.