Listen, and facilitate difficult conversations

In the “Disillusionment” phase, when people feel like they have no agency, even just being listened to (and understood) allows them to experience at least some sense of agency. This not only provides you with a better understanding of why people have adopted a certain mindset, but also helps build empathy and trust, two essential elements for shifting people’s perceptions on issues.

One role you can take in the difficult negotiations of societal mindset shifts can be as a facilitator. For instance, if your objective was to reduce polarisation, instead of simply listening to your audience, you might facilitate conversations between people that now adhere to very different narratives or have developed different emotions. Meanwhile, “sortition democracy” tools like citizen assemblies have proven very useful to facilitate more unified views on normative issues (like abortion or gender equality). They appear to be promising tools to help facilitate the collective negotiation of new mindsets after disruptions. 

People may still be open to adopting new norms or narratives if they were altered slightly, for example, those who have had bad experiences working from home might still be open to supporting hybrid or remote working options.