How to Use the SCARF Model to Move Your Team from Fear to Action

When a Big Goal Meets a Team in Shock

Change is both pain and fear. The team shakes and wobbles — like standing at the edge of a plane door at 4,000 meters, about to jump. Speaking from personal experience, at least.

Just minutes ago, everyone was fired up by a bold new goal. Goosebumps, excitement, pure energy — and then it hit them: nobody said anything about skydiving.

So what do you do? Gently bring everyone back to earth, or dive in headfirst?

Using the SCARF Model for Team Change Facilitation

Here’s a practical note: calm your team down using the SCARF model — Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness.

To better understand how the model works, you can read up on it separately or pick up David Rock’s book Your Brain at Work. I won’t bore you with theory here.

SCARF Questions That Shift the Team from “Let’s Get Out” to “Let’s Go”

Below are questions you can ask your team yourself — or have your coach or facilitator run them — to move people from a “flight” response into forward momentum.

Status:

Imagine how your personal status will change once the goal is achieved.

Certainty:

The one thing I can say with certainty is that the future is uncertain. It’s impossible to predict every change — but you can prepare for them. That much is certain.

Autonomy:

Right now, you’re taking full ownership and acting on your own initiative. Are you ready?

Relatedness:

Every person’s contribution is invaluable — including mine. What will your contribution look like, and what do you expect from me?

Fairness:

Your contribution to the shared effort will be recognized fairly. What does that mean to you?

What Happened When We Tried This in a Real Strategic Session

We recently used this approach at a strategic session with a team of ambitious senior executives. We took a deep breath together. And then — everyone jumped at once.