Not too long ago, I was brought in to help a global corporation’s employees make sense of a vast change initiative. Or initiatives, to be exact. 35 in all. What the company wanted was an umbrella “brand” for all 35 change initiatives, and an overall strategic message to frame the initiatives and help employees make sense of them, and see that they fit together.

Good idea. I was only too happy to help. And of course, I told them, as part of developing a strategic message, its basic structure would have to incorporate not only the “what” of the strategy, but the “why,” as well.

“No, I’m sorry we can’t do that.”

Can’t do what?

“Tell people ‘why.’ We don’t do that around here.”

Don’t do that around here?! But you’ve had something like three presidents in five years, and at least as many change initiatives. And none of them have succeeded.  You not only need to tell them “why” change is needed, but more specifically, why this set of change initiatives are more likely to work than those that have already failed.  Nothing else is likely to make them commit to this change. Experience has taught them that the easiest and safest road for them is simply to wait it out until the change effort fails, this president is fired and a new president and new change initiative comes in. Why is this time any different?

“Sorry. We don’t tell people ‘why’ in this company.”

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There’s a multitude of overwhelming, compelling reasons why you tell people “why” if you want them to change:

• First, and most importantly, they’re much more likely to do what you need them to do when you tell them why. In fact, as Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer has shown, simply using the word “because” by itself may get compliance from your employees, apparently without their even thinking about it.

• Second, people are inherent rationalizers (which is not the same thing, in fact, often quite the contrary, of saying they are inherently rational.)  If you don’t tell people “why” you want them to do something, they’ll make up a reason themselves. Their reasoning and yours are unlikely to be synonymous – after all, they don’t know yours – and may undermine the very change you champion.

• Third, fourth, fifth and more, you’ll elicit gratitude, build good will, reduce uncertainty, build community and a sense of relatedness and enhance your credibility. To name a few.

Given the powerful logic of supplying a rationale for change – which most senior leaders are smart enough to do – the more interesting question than “Why tell ‘why’?” may be “Why wouldn’t leaders tell ‘why’?”