No Gain, No Pain: Bring the Future Forward to Accelerate Change

When introducing new software, give people a fantastic experience first, and then ask for their effort (like creating a profile, entering data, or adopting a new mindset or behavior). By reversing the "no pain, no gain" mantra to "no gain, no pain," you prioritize creating positive experiences before expecting anything in return from employees or customers.

For many software tools, user data is crucial to enable personalized experiences or even basic functionality. This makes it essential to develop strategies for collecting that information. Similarly, in behavioral change, user data can be a powerful tool to support transformation.

The "No Pain, No Gain" Mindset

"No pain, no gain" is a familiar slogan, suggesting that effort is required to achieve results. While true in some contexts, this approach can deter people, especially during organizational change. Instead, breaking down challenges into manageable pieces can help engage people more effectively.

Often, we envision an ideal scenario during change initiatives:

• Everyone fully adopts new policies.

• Employees seamlessly use new software.

• Desired behaviors are displayed immediately.

At Soulcenter, for example, we hope employees will gather comprehensive resident data to enable tailored activities in care homes. We aspire to see the software's full potential realized immediately—but this ideal world rarely exists.

Turning "No Pain, No Gain" into "No Gain, No Pain"

To drive adoption, users must quickly experience the benefits of new tools or policies. Rather than overwhelming employees with lengthy documents or processes, focus on:

• Offering a quick start with minimal information.

• Gradually collecting additional data over time.

This approach mirrors digital marketing strategies: reduce initial friction and increase early rewards.

Reduce Pain, Increase Gain

Reducing Pain

Minimizing obstacles to new behavior or data collection is key. For instance, instead of asking employees to manually enter extensive information, integrate external sources. An example is linking a talent platform to LinkedIn profiles, allowing employees to populate their data with a single click.

Increasing Gain

Highlight the core value of the change early on. What creates a WOW effect for employees or customers? Often, organizations overwhelm users with every potential benefit, diluting the impact. Instead, focus on the essence.

Instagram, for example, enables users to quickly share and view beautiful photos with minimal effort. Profile customization comes later, as needed.

At Soulcenter, we’re testing ways to accelerate benefits by:

• Quickly organizing tailored activities based on existing information.

• Aligning with current habits and showing how Soulcenter integrates seamlessly.

This allows users to experience the vision and benefits early, creating enthusiasm to grow toward a fully personalized approach over time.

Bring the Future Forward

As a change manager or leader, ensure employees experience the benefits of change quickly. Excitement isn’t built solely through communication; it comes from letting people experience the change firsthand. Bring the future forward, and you’ll inspire people to embrace longer-term transformations with enthusiasm.