Michelle Rozen, Ph.D., makes a speciality of change. Since incomes her grasp’s and doctorate in psychology over a decade in the past (whereas elevating three younger youngsters and dealing full-time), Rozen has helped govt management groups at corporations like Johnson & Johnson, Merrill Lynch, Coca-Cola and Pfizer navigate huge organizational adjustments. Her work on this discipline has even earned her the nickname “the change physician.”
Rozen’s newest guide, The 6% Membership, digs into how we are able to create and obtain the objectives that we got down to accomplish.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
SUCCESS+: What’s the 6% membership?
Michelle Rozen: I surveyed 1,000 individuals all around the U.S. It was January 2023, they usually all had some sort of a aim—enterprise, private, cash, relationship, well being, something. I mentioned, “Let’s see what occurs with these individuals over time.”
So I surveyed them from January to June, and what I came upon actually made my jaw drop—as a result of what I discovered was that 94% of the those who pledged to do one thing dropped no matter they pledged for by February. And in order that’s how the 6% membership was born.
S+: What’s the 0–10 rule, and the way can somebody use it to assist them turn out to be one of many 6%?
MR: The 0–10 rule mainly implies that within the span of your day, you will have an excessive amount of to do. However should you run right into a 94-percenter, one of many issues that you simply’ll hear is, “Oh my gosh, I’m so busy…. I’ve been operating round the entire day, [and I] didn’t even have lunch.” However should you look into what they really accomplish in a given day—in case you have issues to do on a span of 10 is an important [thing], and two and three are the much less necessary issues—they do a complete lot of twos and threes. As a result of there’s not sufficient time within the day, they don’t even get to their 10s.
What you get is a complete lot of busy with little or no progress. One of many issues that’s attribute of the six-percenters is that they’re very, excellent at figuring out what their 10s are for the day, they usually’re going to get these 10s down, it doesn’t matter what. The twos and threes? They’re going to delegate them.
S+: How did you develop the 0–10 rule?
MR: Initially I borrowed it from the world of psychology and tailored it to the world of decision-making and prioritizing. I used it on myself first, and it helped me work out how one can prioritize my time.
After I began working with prime management groups, I began sharing that software with them and creating it. They discover it extremely useful as a result of they’ve too many issues to do and their groups have too many issues to do. After I did the analysis on the 6%, I found that one of many issues that characterizes 6-percenters is ruthless prioritizing, in comparison with the 94%.
S+: What’s the most important distinction between a superb chief and an incredible chief?
MR: Individuals expertise—that’s the most important shift that occurred in management from 2020 till at this time. And it’s a wrestle for lots of people as a result of management was very matrix-oriented, and now it’s very people-oriented. The underside line is, should you’re not the sort of individual that has wonderful individuals expertise—communication and training, issues of that nature—you actually need to work on it. They’re not expertise that you may’t purchase, however they’re not non-compulsory. They’re necessary for leaders at this time.
S+: How can leaders higher develop and adapt to the inevitable but crucial adjustments they see inside their crew or group?
MR: The world adjustments in a short time. It’s a shift from the sort of individual that claims, “How do I adapt?”—which is extra passive—to “How do I… not simply adapt, however provoke change to issues to make them extra impactful and efficient? Inside the altering panorama, how do I higher my methods as a frontrunner? How do I turn out to be simpler? How do I repair the issues that don’t work in order that I’m able to attain my objectives?”
Cease doing issues that don’t work and focus in your strengths and the issues that you may enhance so you’ll be able to carry out higher on this quickly altering world. Don’t argue with the altering world. Don’t hope that issues will return to previous instances—as a result of they received’t. It’s going to maintain altering in a short time. [So] you actually need to up your sport by way of your private and management expertise so that you simply’re higher outfitted to take care of a storm.
This interview initially appeared within the Might/June 2025 situation of SUCCESS+ Journal. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Michelle Rozen
