Take a tip from OPOWER and use peer power to energize change. Most of us "know" the changes we need to make, but if knowing were enough the average person wouldn't make the same New Year's resolution ten separate times without success.[i]

We need not only to know the changes we want to make, but believe we can. One of the best ways to increase our expectations of success is to see the accomplishments of our peers. Opower, a software company that promotes home energy efficiency, applied this idea to changing the behavior of energy customers. Instead of a traditional electricity bill they created a comparative rating that allowed customers to evaluate their energy savings performance against those of their peers.

The billing included both textual comparisons and eye catching graphic representations. The illustrations not only vividly demonstrate what is possible within their peer group, but use their responsiveness to social norms to energize change. According to the company, peer-powered-prodding like this encourages behavioral change in 60 to 80% of their customers.[ii]

[i] The Way We're Working ISN'T WORKING, Tony Schwartz

[ii] http://www.anecdote.com.au/archives/2011/10/using_social_no.html