It can be amusing to listen to a returning diplomat speak with his customary accent, while his wife and daughters have adopted new accents.
Children are often very quick to pick up accents, because they feel a greater need to adopt “psychological camouflage” and blend in with their companions, while an adult may subconsciously resist something new to preserve a unique identity as a representative of a culture. In this case there might not be any single model for the new accent, but more a number of models.
Outward appearance is often derived from a role model, although we may also have a personal predilection, eg extreme tidiness, which could be a mimicry or simply due to insecurity. It would appear that not all habits are due purely; some are indicators of our internal psychological state. Repetitive behaviors such as those in obsessive=compulsive disorder are not likely to have such simple roots.
From a management perspective, it is interesting to observe behaviour changes as new recruits join an organization or different work groups are formed. Which people adapt quickly to changes and which ones are more flexible? When introducing new ideas it is useful to know where you are most likely to meet resistance and who serves as a strong model for others.
Getting such a person positively involved can help swing a number of people over to the new ways. If somebody is particularly resistant to change, then it might help to know who he most respects and imitates.
All of this sounds more like politics than business management, but like any other activity involving inter-personal relationships, effective management requires an understanding of psychology as well as adept political manoeuvring. You need to know how to get people to accept necessary changes with a minimum of fuss, and any implementation plan should take such human factors into account.
(continued from part I)
