Written by: Vickie Sullivan | May 16, 2024
How to Avoid Hypocrisy Accusations When You Change Your Mind
When leaders change their moral minds, they are often accused of hypocrisy, much more so than if they change their minds about a pragmatic issue, according to an article published by KelloggInsight.
The reasoning, according to the article, which is based on research from the American Psychological Association:
“People appear to call others hypocrites not just because their actions go against a moral stance but because of the surprise observers feel about the decision. The more certainty someone expresses in a position, the more surprised people around them will be if they contradict that position—and the more hypocritical they will seem.”
Being accused of being a hypocrite can damage your credibility immediately and for a long time.
How to Position Your Changed Opinion and Not Get Called a Hypocrite
To ensure your sudden changes of thought don’t fall into the hypocrisy category, do these two things:
• Be less strident. The study found that when you take a staunch stance on something, people are more surprised when you change your mind. When you communicate openness, you signal that change could happen, lessening the shock when you decide to pivot.
“In short, the experiment showed that ‘if we eliminate surprise by getting participants to believe that moral attitudes are very malleable, then we reduce the rating of hypocrisy as well,’” said Jacob Teeny, assistant professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management.
• Manage expectations. The researchers found that decisions affect theory. Higher expectations drive bigger disappointments when those expectations are not met. And that impacts how strongly people judge the person making the change. You can manage expectations in a myriad of ways. Instead of making guarantees so we can appear confident, promote success by focusing on effort and probability.
In this era of volatility, changing your mind should not be a big deal. However, research shows that is not the case. By following the above steps, you can reduce shock and prevent the chance of being called a hypocrite. Your credibility depends on it.
Listen: How to Lessen the Surprise After You Change Your Position
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