Convincing the inconvincible
You may have never come across the backfire effect before, but there is a good chance that you will have been unwittingly frustrated by it!
The backfire effect occurs when people strengthen their beliefs in response to contradictory evidence, making it a significant challenge for changing minds and therefore anything culture-related. It’s something I frequently come across in my own work.
Despite being able to produce countless case studies and recent research that clearly demonstrates the link between active culture building, safety and high-performance, I frequently find that rather than this pulling boundaries down, they grow in height as people become entrenched in their position.
Often insisting that rather than giving people agency, the best thing to do is to simply tell them repeatedly (often in ways that feel like bullying) that they should simply ‘suck it up’ and get on with it. This…is how to build great culture. Hmm.
We see it in all walks of life, not just business, but politics, life and family arguments too! A couple of popular examples that you might be familiar with include the ‘faked’ moon landings (pictures of actual craft on the moon, here) and flat earthers (picture of the actual earth, here).
However, if this is something that you face in work, then it can be deeply frustrating, especially when managing upwards.
Some of the most common culture-related ones that I hear from leaders are as follows:
Demonstrating that more people are required to complete the expected work, yet the response is to ‘do more with less’
Demonstrating the inaccuracies in data, yet the response is that there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s the interpretation that’s inaccurate
Demonstrating how a behaviour undermines safety or culture, yet being told that that’s who they are and ‘you’ need to toughen up
Demonstrating the inaccuracy of communication, yet being told that it’s the way that you are reading it
Demonstrating that technology will never add the expected value but being told that the investment has been made and it’s up to you to ‘make it work’
A person strengthening their position or beliefs in response to evidence is a cognitive bias known as the backfire effect (or belief perseverance). In the face of the backfire effect, there are some strategies that you can employ to overcome it:
Build rapport first. People are more receptive to challenging information when they feel respected and understood. Start by acknowledging legitimate concerns and finding common ground before introducing conflicting evidence.
Use the "truth sandwich" approach. Lead with the accurate information, briefly mention the misconception, then reinforce the truth. This prevents the false belief from being mentally rehearsed and strengthened.
Focus on values alignment rather than facts alone. Frame new information in terms of the organisation's existing values. For example, if the organisation values financial responsibility, emphasise how a policy saves money rather than leading with other benefits that they might reject.
Use trusted messengers. Information is more readily accepted when it comes from sources the person already respects e.g. peers, or experts they admire. I am frequently employed by HR leaders to deliver messages to CEOs that they themselves have already delivered!
Present information gradually and allow processing time. Overwhelming someone with contradictory evidence often triggers stronger backfire effects. Instead, introduce small pieces of information over time and give people space to reconcile them with existing beliefs.
Address emotional needs behind beliefs. Many strongly-held beliefs serve psychological functions like providing certainty, group belonging, or meaning. Acknowledge these needs whilst offering alternative ways to meet them.
Make the invisible visible. Help people recognise their own reasoning processes by asking questions like "What would change your mind about this?" or "What evidence would you find convincing?" Of course, this doesn’t always work, but it will encourage increased cognitive awareness or else confirm whether you’re wasting your time or not!
It’s not always possible to counter the backfire effect, as there are some people that simply don’t want to hear the message you’re delivering, regardless of how accurate it is. However, by utilising one or more of these strategies you will feel assured that you gave it your best (moon) shot.
