Stacy and Clinton

I admit it - I love What Not To Wear.  I love Stacy and Clinton, and I love the train-wreck transformations.  But in watching last night's episode (Carly from Jersey), she said "this is so much deeper than just changing clothes" - and a lot of people say similar things.  So let's break it down and see how and why the change is effective... And why it might not stick.

First, for those who don't watch What Not To Wear - you are missing out.  But, here is a breakdown of the show (or you can check out the Wikipedia page here)

1. Friends/Family/Coworkers submit footage of contestant looking horrible.
2. Ambush contestant and ask her to come to New York to spend a week shopping.  Must promise to give up entire wardrobe for $5000 of shopping money.
3. Contestant looks at "secret footage" of her terrible wardrobe.  Stacy and Clinton ask what kind of message she thinks she's giving to the world with those clothes.  Usually it's that she's a floozy.  Contestant agrees.
4. Contestant goes into the 360 degree mirror in a "typical" outfit and realizes how bad it looks.  Stacy and Clinton join to confirm how bad it really is.
5. Stacy and Clinton provide sample outfits of what is appropriate and discuss what makes it appropriate.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 (x2)
7. Stacy and Clinton throw out the contestant's existing wardrobe while discussing why things aren't working (too big for you, looks cheap, can't wear shirts with holes in them, etc.)
8. Contestant goes shopping on her own.  Stacy and Clinton review footage.
9. Stacy and Clinton help contestant shop, citing footage (how can we correct this) from previous day.
10. Contestant gets new haircut and makeup (Carmindy and Ted/Nick)
11. Contestant shows off three looks to Stacy and Clinton, who again discuss why the new clothes work well for her body type, activities, and lifestyle.
12. Contest goes home and shows off her new look - usually at a party with friends and family.

It is usually in step 11 where we get the comments like, "this is a bigger transformation than I ever imagined" or "I feel so much more confident" or "I never thought I could look like this."  

So let's break it down, Anderson & Anderson style.  If you're not familiar, take a look here.  I'm going to outline the steps briefly below.  Note that this goes in a repetitive cycle.

Pre-step: Hear the wake-up call

1. Prepare to lead the change
2. Create a vision
3. Assess the current state
4. Design the desired state
5. Analyze the impact
6. Plan and organize for implementation
7. Implement the change
8. Celebrate the new state
9. Learn and course correct

Let's compare!

Hear the wake-up call: Stacy and Clinton do this in a few places - particularly in the ambush (obviously), in the secret footage, and in the 360 degree mirror - people are looking at themselves in a new light.  It's a forced wake up call, but it's definitely effective!

Prepare to lead the change: In this stage, you'd look at the changes and determine if you have the readiness and capability to change.  Stacy and Clinton trash her wardrobe (step 5), so she needs a new wardrobe, and won't be held back by anything she used to own... But the readiness is something she has to reach on her own (step 2-11).  A for having the structures in place, C- for getting people ready.

 

Create a Vision: While watching the secret footage (step 3) and reviewing looks in the 360 mirror (step 4), Stacy and Clinton ask the contestant who she wants to be and what image she wants to project.  GREAT way to develop a vision.  It's unclear how often they return to the vision, unfortunately.

Assess the current state: Hello, secret footage (step 3), 360 mirror (step 4), and trashing the wardrobe (step 7).  You'll notice as you watch the show that they are constantly talking about WHY things are/are not working.  Which helps us move to....

Design the desired state: Stacy and Clinton discuss the sample pieces and how to find them (step 5)!  Brava! 

Analyze the impact: Oooh... This is not so good.  Trashing the wardrobe in step 7?  I'm not really sure.  Or have we already analyzed the impact in previous steps?  

Plan and organize for implementation: Again, with the sample pieces (step 5).  Also, what we don't see, is that Stacy and Clinton give the contestant a list of stores where they will have the best likelihood of success.

Implement the change: Shopping! Steps 8 and 9!

Celebrate the new state: This definitely falls into steps 11 and 12 - lots of praise and excitement and enthusiasm.  Focus is on the new looks and how they help the contestant.

Learn and course correct: This is really what step 9 is all about - so maybe this step should have come earlier in this process.  When Stacy and Clinton shop with the contestant, they talk about why pieces are working or not working, and we get a lot of "teaching" moments.

Well!  Stacy and Clinton, I'd say you're about a B+ on this change model.  Excellent!  Not sure if you followed this when designing your show, but you're more or less going in order (according to Anderson & Anderson), and you're doing things iteratively, which is great too!  So good for you.

What I think is particularly interesting is that it typically takes contestants a really long time to get over their mental models.  Carly from Jersey last night called everything remotely business casual a "Hillary Clinton Pants Suit" (which of course was a far cry from the fishnet top and silver leggings she showed up with).  Stacy and Clinton do little to address this  - but perhaps they should focus here earlier in the program.  They kind of write those kinds of comments off, saying things like, "just try it".  Maybe they should pay more attention here.  Similarly, many contestants won't let Nick/Ted cut their hair.  It's a security blanket.  Ted/Nick usually asks if he can cut just a few inches and the contestant reluctantly agrees, but there is little attention paid to why they have that hangup - how it got there and why they continue to be so attached to their hair.

Also, they don't have any additional support after they've made their change.  It's a week, and then it's over.  I doubt Stacy and Clinton exchange email addresses or phone numbers with these people.  So how can they continue to get positive reinforcement and they make this change?  Sure they've learned what they can in a week - but changing life-long habits takes a hell of a lot longer than a week!  

Do you have any thoughts on Stacy and Clinton's approach?

I sincerely hope my father replies to this post.  I know he secretly loves this show.  And now his secret is out!

 

Unconcious Change

Have you ever made a change without thinking about it?  Here's an example (since my brain is focused on changing language).  My parents say "garbage" - as in, "toss the paper in the garbage".  I say "trash" - as in "toss the paper in the trash".  I am sure I said "garbage" as a kid, but now I always say "trash".  I guess it doesn't matter which you say, because they're both grammatically correct and you're getting your point across. 

But I wonder--

When did I make this change, and why!?  If I did it on purpose, perhaps I could have learned from that experience.  I could apply the same principles to switching from "s#!t" to "bah!" (or whatever).

The funny thing about language (at least, your first language) is, you don't really think about it.  Thoughts get translated to words with little effort put into the words themselves.  It's hard to turn that part of the brain on - the part that manages the WORDS.  

This is the way my brain works (I think):

Dropping a bunch of papers onto a wet, dirty floor --> very bad --> express anger --> expletive
...So now I need to find a way to consciously address this unconscious translation.  And it's a huge pain.

This brings me back to mental models.  If you haven't read the literature on mental models, you should.  It's interesting.

But I think I have a mental model in operation here between [very bad --> express anger --> expletive].  That is, I have a deeply rooted thought process that says: the way I express anger quickly, efficiently, and effectively is to utter a single word or phrase.  Everyone will know by this single word or phrase the extent to which I am mad.  Hence, I will have expressed the appropriate amount of anger.  My mental model may not be "correct", but it's the way my brain is processing the world around me.  Seriously - go read about mental models.  Links at the bottom.

So do I just need a new vocabulary?  Will this new vocabulary be as effective at expression?

I'd love to hear examples from you.  Have you changed certain words or phrases on purpose?  How did you approach your change?  Any thoughts on mental models?




Mental Models - GO READ!
http://www.tcd.ie/Psychology/other/Ruth_Byrne/mental_models/
http://www.lauradove.info/reports/mental%20models.htm